The Life of the Potters
by i'manerdforallthingsHP
Summary: Series of one-shots portraying multiple aspects of Harry and Ginny's life (from things like their wedding to shopping in Diagon Alley).
1. Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Harry slowly approached where Fred's lifeless body lay, surrounded by his family. The Weasleys were sat in silence, their arms around each other, or clinging on to Fred in the hopes that he might wake up and tease them for being so forlorn.

"Hey," he said quietly, and to his surprise everyone looked up and smiled at him. Ginny looked up too, and even though her face was stained with the tear tracks of loss, she too managed a smile that made Harry's heart melt.

"Hey," she replied softly. Her eyes seemed to be seeing right through him, right into his soul. There was nothing Harry wanted more than to pull her into a tight embrace and never let go, he wanted to erase all the pain from her face and from her heart and to just make things okay again. That's all he wanted, for all of the Weasley family. After all, it was _his_ fault that Fred had died in the first place.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked, hoping that she would say yes, that she could, but he could see in her eyes the reluctance to leave her family, and her now-dead brother.

"Sure," Ginny replied, though a frown was creasing her forehead. She stood up, one hand still on Fred's chest, and the other hand on George's shoulder. She slowly removed her hand from Fred, and gave George's shoulder a gentle squeeze, to which he wordlessly replied with an understanding smile.

"Will you be okay?" she asked him quietly.

"I'll be fine, go with Harry," he assured her softly, grabbing her hand and giving it a soft squeeze. He then removed his hand and looked up at Harry. George's eyes were red-rimmed, from crying, no doubt; but he still managed the mischievous grin that Harry had come to know so well.

"Alright there, Harry?" he asked, to which Harry replied with a cautious nod.

"Alright, you?"

"Alright," he replied, though it sounded forced, even to Harry's ears.

Ginny carefully made her way over to Harry, touching various members of her family on the shoulder as she passed. When she came to Percy, Harry half expected Ginny to ignore him; or to send him a look so vicious that he wouldn't dare say anything. Instead, she pulled him to his feet and into a fierce hug. Harry looked awkwardly away as the tears started to fall from both their eyes once more, and he could hear Percy muttering _'Fred, Fred, Fred' _in anguished tones.

"Where did you want to go?" Ginny asked Harry, when she finally let go of Percy, her voice breaking slightly at the end, though Harry pretended not to have noticed.

"There's this little place outside the castle we can go to… if you're up for it," he added, not wanting to sound as though he were trying to tear her away from her family- at a time when they desperately needed each other.

"Yeah… yeah it's fine," she assured him.

They manoeuvred their way out of the Great Hall slowly, because Harry was constantly stopped for people to give their thanks to him, for defeating Voldemort and for saving all of their lives. He always replied the same, _'it's nothing',_ because he wanted nothing more than to get out, away from all of the dead and the dying and the people that thought him a hero.

When they were outside the Castle, Harry looked at Ginny, who was silently weeping.

"Gin?" he spoke softly, but Ginny heard, lifting her head up to meet his, and wiping her eyes on her sleeve, apparently embarrassed at showing so much emotion.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry. It's just been… it's just been a rough couple of days," she whispered.

"I know," he murmured. Harry didn't know what to do, he wanted to comfort her, but at the same time, Harry knew that sometimes it was best to leave people who were grieving alone.

"Where are we going, Harry?" she asked suddenly, glancing upwards. The lake was in the distance, shimmering blue in the light of the dawn. It was beautiful, but Harry couldn't appreciate it, nor could Ginny. After so much pain, and so much death, it was hard to see the beauty in anything, even when there was so much beauty to be appreciated.

"Just a little place… I wanted to ask you something," he replied softly.

They walked in silence until they came to a cluster of trees, just in front of the lake. Harry caught hold of Ginny's arm and pulled her to a tree, in the middle of them all. They stood there for a few minutes, before the realisation hit Ginny and she gasped.

"This is… this is…"

"Yeah, these are my parent's initials," Harry smiled softly, "Gin; I want our initials up there with my parents. Would you… would you want that? I mean, would you want to be with me?"

To Harry's dismay, Ginny started to cry. Without a second thought he pulled her close, into a hug that he knew she needed. She clung to him, so tight that Harry thought she was going to squeeze the life out of him, but he didn't care.

"You don't have to be strong now, Gin. I'll do that for the both of us," he whispered into her hair.

She pulled her head backwards and glanced up at him, the tears still falling from her eyes. "Will you?" she asked.

"Of course I will," Harry smiled. He leant forwards and bought his lips against hers, only for the briefest of moments, but it was enough. She sighed and huddled against his chest for warmth. Harry gave her the gentlest of squeezes, enough to assure her that he was there, that he would always be there.

"I love you, Harry."

"I love you too, Gin," he replied, smiling into her neck.

"Can we…. Can we write our initials up there, with your parents? I want to be with you, Harry."

"Yes, we can," Harry beamed, withdrawing his wand from his pocket. He walked over to the tree, with Ginny in tow, and raised his wand. He began writing their initials, right underneath his parents. After Harry had finished, he drew a heart around the two sets.

"We'll be here forever, Harry. You and I and your parents."

"Yeah," he agreed, pulling Ginny into another kiss. It lasted longer this time, and was full of emotion. When they broke apart, Harry kissed Ginny's forehead lightly, overwhelmed by the rush of feelings that hit him.

"Maybe we should head back up to the Castle," Harry suggested quietly. Even though being with Ginny was what he wanted the most, he wanted her to be around her family too, where she needed to be.

"We can stay here for a little while, right?"

"Sure," Harry replied, kissing the top of her head. Ginny's hand found his, and she squeezed it tight. She sat down on the grass, pulling Harry with her, and together they sat watching the sun rise over the lake.

_J.P + L.E_

_H.P + G.W_

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**_Hi c: hope you enjoyed this chapter! I've got seven chapters written already, and I'll be posting them weekly, and after that I'll be posting as soon as I've gotten it done (so the updates could become a little more irregular after then, especially since I'll have University work to be getting on with). Thanks for reading! c:_**


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting the Parents

"C'mon Gin, it's time to go!" Harry shouted up the stairs, exasperated by the time his girlfriend was taking to get ready.

"I'm just getting ready, I'm nearly done!" she called back.

"You don't need to get ready; you look fine as you are. We're going to a grave for the love of Merlin; they won't care if you're dressed in rags!"

"They're your parents, Harry, I want to look my best!" she shouted back, the irritation showing in her tone. She was nervous about the first time meeting Harry's parents, though they weren't even alive. But Harry was so excited about introducing her, that Ginny felt like she should make a significant effort.

Downstairs, Harry sank onto the sofa. He was nervous enough as it was, after all, introducing your girlfriend to your parents is a big deal, even if they're dead. But Ginny was taking such a long time preparing herself that Harry's nerves had risen up and taken him over once again. _'What if Ginny gets bored?'_ he asked himself countless times, dreading the answer. He knew his worrying was futile, because Ginny wouldn't be so disrespectful, but the pointless worrying was there nonetheless.

Finally Ginny reappeared in the living room where Harry was now sat. She had on her best clothes, with her hair done in a formal manner and makeup on that made her look sophisticated. Harry's mouth dropped open, shocked with the transformation.

"How do I look?" Ginny twirled around the living room, showing off every aspect of her attire.

"Y-you look b-b-beautiful," Harry stuttered.

"Thank you," Ginny smiled, "are you going in _that_?" she gestured to Harry's simple jeans, shirt and blazer.

"Yeah," Harry replied, brushing a crumb off the knee of his jeans, "is that okay?"

"Sure," Ginny replied, though her tone suggested otherwise.

"Good… well Gin, you ready to go?"

"Of course," Ginny beamed, though her stomach was churning with nerves.

"Okay," Harry held out his hand and as Ginny grabbed it, she felt the familiar squeeze of Apparition.

A few minutes later, and both Harry and Ginny were in Godric's Hollow. Harry took Ginny's hand and started pulling her towards the graveyard around the back of the small church. Ginny hesitated, pulling backwards on Harry's arm, her anxiety getting the better of her. The snow swirled around their heads, settling into their hair, making the graveyard look beautiful.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Gin?" Harry replied, spinning around to face her.

"What if your parents don't like me?" the words slipped out before she could help herself, they stuck in her throat as she tried to get them out.

"Gin, why _wouldn't_ they like you?"

"What if they think I'm not good enough for you?" she asked, voicing her concern for the first time since they'd been together. She had never really thought about it- but being here, near the famous Lily and James Potter's graves, it had finally sunk in that _she,_ Ginny Weasley, was dating the great Harry Potter.

"Gin, you make me happier than I've been in my whole life. They'll love you for that alone," he smiled softly at her, making her heart melt and wiping away all of her futile concerns. "C'mon," he grabbed her hand again and started pulling, "I want you to meet them."

What felt like hours later to Ginny, they were finally stood in front of Lily and James' graves. Harry had released Ginny's hand and was touching the white marble softly with his fingertips, his emotions getting the better of him. He turned around and smiled at Ginny, who was lingering back, away from the graves. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act- it would have been different if they were alive, but they weren't. It was a different kind of situation, she knew, so the expectations on her were different.

She moved forward slowly, cautiously, wary that Harry was watching her every move. He smiled at her, encouraging her, but she didn't feel any better for it. In fact, she felt worse. Harry was clearly ecstatic that she was there at all, but she currently wanted to be anywhere else but there. Maybe Harry realised that, because he frowned slightly, his worries rising back to the surface. He bit them back down, telling himself that she was just nervous, that she didn't know how to act. After all, it wasn't as though she had ever had to do anything like this before.

"Gin?" he held out his hand reassuringly, and Ginny grasped at it as though it were a lifeline. "Can I introduce you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Okay," Ginny mumbled in reply.

Harry cleared his throat and pulled Ginny towards him, turning back to face the graves. "Gin, meet my mum and dad, Lily and James Potter. Mum and dad meet Ginny Weasley, my girlfriend."

The words echoed slightly throughout the graveyard before dying slowly out- and an eerie silence set in. Harry seemed to be waiting for something to happen, for his parents to reply, though it wasn't possible.

"Do you… do you mind if I say something?" Ginny asked, breaking Harry's reverie. He turned to her, positively beaming.

"'Course you can."

"Thanks," she smiled. She let go of Harry's hand, cleared her throat and mentally ran through the words in her head, making sure that they sounded alright. "Um, hi, Mr and Mrs Potter, I'm Ginny Weasley, Harry's girlfriend. I uh, well I just wanted to say that you have an amazing son- he's so caring and he's very protective of me… and I just wanted to say… well I just wanted to say that I promise I'll make him happy, and that I'll love him until I die."

Ginny glanced up at Harry, afraid she'd said something wrong, that she might have offended him in some way. To her surprise his eyes were glistening with tears, and he was smiling at her in such a way that reminded her of how Ron smiled at Hermione- as though she was his world.

"I love you, Gin," he said quietly, reaching for her hand again. This time Ginny didn't even hesitate to take it, and smiled softly at him when he squeezed it gently.

"I love you too," she murmured, to which she received another heart-warming smile.

He turned away from her once more, and pulled out his wand. Moving it in a circular motion, pointing it at his parent's graves, he created a Christmas wreath, with red roses entwined into the branches. Ginny stepped forward, and with the same circular motion created the same wreath as Harry did, but with white roses instead of red. It lay on James Potter's grave, next to the one on Lily's.

"Merry Christmas, mum and dad," Harry whispered, the tears now falling from his eyes. Ginny stepped towards Harry and snuggled into his chest, as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her forehead. "Merry Christmas, Gin."

"Merry Christmas, Harry. And to you, Mr and Mrs Potter," she added softly on to the end.

They stood there for a while, just allowing the snow to settle around them, and to just enjoy each other's company, silent though it was.

"Ready to go back?" Harry asked, hugging Ginny closer to him, to protect her from the cold that was now seeping in.

"Only if you are."

"Alright, let's go then," he replied. As Ginny grasped his arm he got one more look at his parent's graves before the familiar sensation of Apparition hit him, and they were back in the warmth of their own living room.

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_**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one will be up on Sunday. Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and that you have a great new year! :)**_


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner with the Weasley Clan

"Ready?" Ginny asked Harry, who nervously straightened his hair for the hundredth time.

"Sure. Do I look okay?"

"Harry, for the millionth time, you don't need to make a good impression. You've known our family since your first day at Hogwarts," she smiled at him.

"But they're your _parents,_" Harry mumbled.

"They've been my parents the entire time you've known me," Ginny reminded him softly, "they won't think any different of you now you're my boyfriend."

Harry merely nodded and Ginny laughed at him, grabbing his hand with hers and squeezing it tightly. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

Ginny raised her free hand and knocked on the door. Within seconds it was pulled open, and Harry and Ginny were met with Molly Weasley wearing a dirty apron, but with a big smile on her face.

"Ginny, Harry! We were beginning to think you would never arrive!" she smiled, pulling Harry into a tight embrace—so tight Harry thought his ribs might shatter.

"Harry was anxious to make a good impression on my family," Ginny smirked, sticking out her tongue at Harry, who grimaced.

"Yes, yes, well you're here now, so come in!" she stepped aside and allowed Ginny, and then Harry, to pass. As he walked in, Harry noticed the entire Weasley clan, and Hermione, sitting around the dinner table in their best clothes. Even Bill and Charlie were there—though Harry suspected this was rather out of fear of what their mother might do to them, should they have refused. Harry saw George's face light up with apparent glee at Harry's discomfort which made him groan internally- he was fully expecting some kind of trick to be played on him during the meal.

Ginny hadn't missed the expression on George's face, either. "Don't you dare," she growled at him, sending George a look so fierce that Harry was surprised he didn't turn to ash in front of his eyes.

"As if I would," George smiled innocently; winking at Harry the moment Ginny turned her back. Harry barely managed a smile back, now feeling as though his heart was in his mouth. He turned to Hermione, desperate to find a face that _wasn't _a Weasley, and to hopefully calm himself down.

"Hermione," he nodded to her, "I didn't think that you would be here."

"Mrs Weasley invited-" she started, but she was cut off by Molly.

"Hermione dear, you _must_ call me Molly. I'm not Mrs Weasley anymore, not now that you're my son's girlfriend. And I invited her to dinner too, Harry, I do hope that's okay? It's so nice to have _all_ the family around for dinner."

"Even when _some _of the family have work commitments," Bill and Arthur muttered at the same time.

"Yeah, it's fine, sorry," Harry mumbled in response, trying to deflect the glare that Molly was now sending to her son and husband. He was slightly abashed, having thought that Hermione _wouldn't _be there, after all she was now as much a part of the family as he was.

"No need to apologise, dear," Molly replied absent-mindedly, "I'm cooking a roast dinner, is that alright? I thought we could have treacle-tart for afterwards, your favourite." She smiled warmly at him, and Harry smiled back, appreciating the gesture. She was going out of her way to make Harry feel welcome, or at least comfortable, so this wouldn't be an awkward evening.

"That's lovely, thank you," he assured her. He turned to find Ginny and found her positively beaming at him from where she was sat- next to Hermione.

"Harry?" she called softly. He moved towards where she was, and sat down on the vacant seat next to her.

"Yeah?" he replied. She leant forward slightly, so her hair was tickling Harry's face, but so her mouth was next to his ear.

"So, what do you think of my family?" she whispered, the laugh evident in her tone. Harry could feel Ron's gaze piercing him, wondering what she asked.

"I think they're amazing," he whispered back, and to that she laughed. If Ron's gaze was piercing before, it was now more of a glare, and Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ginny, sensing his apparent discomfort glanced over to where she thought the problem was, Ron.

"You aren't going to glare at Harry all evening, are you?" she laughed, smirking slightly as Ron's ears reddened.

"I wasn't, I was just-"

"Analysing, I know," Ginny interrupted, frowning. "He's still Harry, Ron. You know, your best friend."

"Not for tonight," Ron grimaced, "tonight he's my little sister's boyfriend."

"Oh Ron," Molly turned around from the stove and shot him a look equally as vicious as her daughter's, "it's just Harry."

"It's not just-" Ron started, but he was cut off by Harry.

"It's fine; I get where Ron is coming from. I would feel the same towards him if Hermione was my younger sister," he smiled at Ron, who didn't smile back.

"Ron," Arthur started slowly, "as much as I can understand your concern… you do realise your sister can produce one of the most powerful bat-bogey hexes I've seen in a long time?" he smiled. The entire table erupted into laughter, and even Ron joined in—albeit reluctantly. Harry felt himself starting to relax a little more, this was the Weasley family he had come to know and love, and Ginny was right- they weren't any different now that he was dating her.

"Alright, quieten down," Molly sniffed, not appreciating her husband's contribution to the situation, "dinner is going to be five minutes. Ron, could you please get the plates? George, the cutlery. Bill you can get the tablecloth and Percy, can you get the glasses please? Oh and Arthur, you can bring in a couple of bottles of elf-made wine from the shed."

The respective family members shot off to do the duties they'd been assigned, before Molly's voice rose and demanded they did as they were told. Harry glanced around at Molly, now stirring a giant pot over the stove, and cleared his throat.

"Is there anything you would like me to do Mrs… uh, Molly?"

Molly turned around and gave Harry her most heart-felt smile. "No, there's nothing you can do at the moment, but thank you for offering." She smiled again and turned around, busying herself with the cooking food—whose aromas were now filling the small kitchen, making Harry's mouth water in anticipation.

Soon the table was set, and the food was on it, waiting to be distributed between the ten people that were seated.

"Tuck in everyone!" Molly exclaimed, before starting to pile potatoes on the plates of those closest to her.

Harry, being extremely hungry, took some of everything—piling the food up until it resembled a small mountain on his plate. He noticed Molly smiling fondly at him, no doubt due to the sheer amount of food he was about to eat.

Different conversations were starting, depending on where the people were sitting. Hermione, Ron and Arthur were involved in a talk about what Hermione and Ron were going to do, now that they had fully finished school. Molly, Percy and Ginny were revelling in old memories, each of them tearing up due to the overwhelming rush of emotions. Harry was sat near to George, Bill and Charlie, each of whom had leant forward, about to engage Harry in conversation.

"Hey Harry," Charlie smirked, bringing Harry's feelings of discomfort back to the front of his mind, "how's things going between you and Ginny?"

"They're going great, thanks," Harry smiled, relieved that there was no joke to be played here.

"So you like her?" Bill chimed in, smiling.

"Yes, a lot," Harry replied, glancing over at Ginny, still immersed in memories with her mother.

"Do we have to give you the brother talk?" George asked, raising his eyebrows in mock concern.

"Uh, no, thanks… I've already had it from Ron," Harry admitted.

"Ah, ickle Ronnikins beat us to it? I think we should give him the talk anyway. What do you think guys?" George asked, with a mouthful of roast potato.

"I say we should," Charlie grinned.

"Yes, me too," Bill replied, "now, Harry, as Ginny's brothers, you are aware that part of our duty is to make sure the boyfriend is Weasley-worthy."

"Of course we know you're worthy, because you did defeat you-know-who and save the entire wizarding world but as loyal, loving brothers, we have to make sure you're up for the job," George added.

"Yeah, mate, we felt we should warn you of what a handful Ginny is," Charlie laughed, causing various family member's heads to turn around.

"Ginny... Gin isn't a handful," Harry replied quietly.

"Ah, you say that now—but you've never been on the end of one of her bat-bogey hexes, have you?" George interrupted gleefully.

"Well, no, but she wouldn't need to…" Harry replied, confused. He wasn't sure how the conversation was turning out this way; he thought the three Weasley brothers wanted to lecture him on his behaviour towards Ginny, not the other way around.

"Harry, if you get through this relationship without having one bat-bogey hex cast on you, you will be my new hero," Charlie smirked.

"Now, now," George interrupted, "Harry should already be your hero, he _did_ save us all from you-know-who," he smiled, winking slyly at Harry.

"George, I told you, I don't want to be a hero, I just want to be…"

"Harry!" the three Weasley brothers chorused at once, smirking at Harry's now blushing face. A minute later, before Harry even had time to blink, George, Bill and Charlie had flapping things covering their faces. Harry glanced over at Ginny, who blew him a kiss. Harry turned back around to the three boys, now smirking.

"So, what _does_ it feel like to be on the end of one of Ginny's hexes?"

* * *

Finally, after what felt like years of enduring teasing from the three Weasley brothers, and Ron when he came over, the food was gone, as was the elf-made wine that Arthur had bought in.

"Harry!" Ginny called, raising her voice so she could be heard over the din her family was making, "come here a second, would you please?"

Harry stood up and attempted to make his way to Ginny, which proved difficult due to George's reluctance to let him go without a prank being pulled. Eventually he made it to her, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you too," she whispered back. "So, what do you think of my family now?" she whispered, a repeat of what she had asked him earlier in the evening.

"I think they are wonderful," Harry smiled, kissing the top of her forehead lightly, which sparked titters throughout the people still seated at the dinner table. Harry bought his left hand back to run it through her hair when he noticed it. "Hey," he said, showing Ginny his hand, "this wasn't there before."

On Harry's left hand, on his ring finger, was a thin golden band— mirrored also on Ginny's hand. She tried to pull it off-;realising then that it wasn't an actual ring. It was like paint only it was permanent, and Ginny knew exactly who would have the gumption to pull such a prank.

"George!"

Both Harry and Ginny turned, glaring, to the now grinning George. He feigned ignorance, shrugging, but couldn't prevent a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"Get rid of it," Ginny hissed at him.

"No can do," George replied, winking, "it's a time charm—it won't wear off for a few days."

"I don't care," Ginny snarled, her eyes narrowing and her face going red, as it often did when she was angry, "remove it, and remove it now."

"Sorry little sis'," he smirked, "but both you and Harry were acting like you were a married couple already, so I thought you should have the ring to suit," he smirked at Harry, who was now ready to crawl out of the Weasley household, having been embarrassed enough for one evening.

"You'll never be forgiven for this, George," Bill muttered, and although he was smiling he quickly ceased when Ginny shot him a look full of hatred.

"Neither will Harry," Ron interjected loudly, sniggering. Harry smiled—though he hated it, he was beginning to see the funny side of the prank. Ginny, however, was not.

"Be quiet, Ron! This was supposed to be a _nice_ evening, I don't need you spoiling it for me! Come on, Harry, we're leaving."

"Gin…" Harry began slowly.

"Don't you dare!" Ginny hissed, "Don't you dare defend them!"

"It was a prank, Gin. It was supposed to be funny. Your brothers didn't mean any harm, did they? Did you?" Harry asked, shooting a pointed glance at George, Bill, Charlie and Ron, who were sitting, looking abashed, in the corner.

"We didn't mean any harm," the four replied in unison, earnestly.

To Harry's relief, Ginny began to chuckle, before breaking out in full blown laughter. Little by little, each member of the Weasley clan, and Hermione, began to laugh with her. Harry was the last to join in the laughter, but just as he began, Ginny pulled him close.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime," he mumbled back, pulling her into a kiss, despite the fact he knew everyone was watching.

"Ugh, get a room," Ron muttered under his breath, to which he received a glare—not only from Ginny, but Harry too, who was immensely enjoying the kiss, despite his unintended audience.

"Right, well we're leaving now…" Ginny trailed off, grabbing Harry's hand.

"You're leaving so soon?" Molly replied, looking slightly downcast. It had been a while since she'd had the family all together; she wasn't keen for them all to disappear off to their own lives once again.

"Yeah, I think Harry has had enough embarrassment for one evening," Ginny turned and stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend who grinned, running his hand through his hair. "Besides, we have things to be doing at home."

"Oh, alright. Well," Molly stood up, walking over to where Harry and Ginny stood, and pulled them both into a tight embrace. "It was lovely to see you both. Don't leave it too long before your next visit, okay?"

"We won't, mum," Ginny assured her, kissing her mum's cheek.

"We'll be back before you know it," Harry added, "it isn't as though I could stay away from that treacle tart forever, I mean, Ginny makes a good one, but hers is nothing compared to yours, Molly," Harry smirked at his girlfriend, who had the good grace to look offended—though she knew her food didn't compare to that of her mums.

"Why thank you, Harry," Molly smiled gently, patting him softly on the shoulder. "Well, safe journey home."

"Thank you. Bye everyone!" Ginny waved enthusiastically before pulling Harry quickly towards the door.

"What's your hurry?" Harry murmured.

"Let's not leave time for George to play _another_ prank," Ginny whispered, smiling.

"I thought it pretty good, myself," Harry commented, sticking his tongue out at his now staring girlfriend.

"Yes, well at least I got to hex them before I left. _That_ made my evening better," Ginny smirked.

"Well, it's not every day I get to see you hex someone…" Harry replied, grinning.

"Watch out or you'll be next," Ginny replied, winking. "So, would you say that evening was a success?"

"I got out alive, so yes, I would. Do you think it was?"

"I do," Ginny replied quietly, before apparating both herself and her boyfriend back to their warm and welcoming house.

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_**Hey guys! Sorry this is later than planned, FF was being a pain and wasn't letting me do anything! Hope you all had a fabulous new years eve, and may 2014 be a great year for all of you! Thanks for reading c:**_


	4. Chapter 4: Double Dating

"Harry, Ginny, over here!" Hermione's excited voice rang out, reaching Harry and Ginny even through the bustle of Hogsmeade. It was Christmas, and Hogsmeade was beautifully lit up—reminding Harry of the times he came here at Christmas during his school years. _At least this hasn't changed,_ he thought with relief.

"Hey," Ginny said breathlessly, once she and Harry had reached the other couple. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not at all," Hermione replied, shooting a fierce look at her boyfriend when he showed signs of interrupting.

"Good," Ginny smiled in reply. "So, is there anywhere in particular you guys wanted to go?"

"How about Madam Puddifoot's first? Then, I thought we could pay the Shrieking Shack a visit, and then maybe stop off in Honeydukes to finish off?" Hermione rattled through her mental list, making Harry's head spin. Hermione, who had known about this plan for a mere week, had already planned out what the couples were to do on their _quiet_ visit to Hogsmeade.

"Sounds good," Harry replied.

"Can we go then?" Ron interjected impatiently, "I'm freezing."

"Alright, Ron," Hermione soothed, "we're going now."

The four of them traipsed a little down the road, and into a little restaurant that you wouldn't notice, unless you were heading there. It was decorated for Christmas, with an abundance of decorations outside, as well as fake snow falling from the ceiling inside. They all walked in, one after another, and settled at a table near the back of the shop. No sooner had they sat down and taken off their coats, an elderly witch tottered over, with a writing pad.

"What can I get you m'dears?" she asked, smiling at them all in turn.

"I'll have a coffee, please," Harry replied.

"Same for me please," Ginny replied.

"I'll have a cup of hot chocolate please," Hermione smiled at the witch.

"Can I have a coffee too, please?" Ron added last.

"Alright, so three coffees and a hot chocolate?" Madam Puddifoot asked.

"Yes please—oh wait! Can we also have a selection of your finest cakes?" Hermione added, as an afterthought.

"So, three coffees, one hot chocolate and a cake platter?"

"That's right," Ginny replied, smiling.

"I'll be back shortly, then," the elderly witch replied.

All four of the people sat quietly, admiring their surroundings, before Madam Puddifoot came back, bearing a tray with everything they had ordered on it. After she had handed each person their drink and placed the platter of cakes onto the middle of the table, she told them the price. Ginny began to pull out her purse, to pay, but Hermione stopped her.

"I'll get these," she smiled.

"But—"

"I said I'll get them," Hermione insisted.

"Oh alright… thank you," Ginny smiled at her oldest friend, and Hermione smiled back. They hadn't been sure of the arrangement at first, after all, all of them were best friends—and Ginny thought it could easily have been awkward. But if felt so easy, as if they had done it a thousand times.

"Here you go," Hermione announced, dropping the coins into Madam Puddifoot's hand, "thank you!"

"You're welcome, m'dear. Shout if you require anything else."

"We will," Hermione assured her.

There was another moment of silence as everyone added milk and sugar to their drinks, though Harry didn't—too lost in thought. The last time he had been in this wretched place it was with Cho Chang, his crush in his fifth year of Hogwarts. It had ended up being a disaster, of course, but Harry hoped that this time it didn't turn out quite so bad. Ron must have been remembering the same thing Harry was, because suddenly he sniggered, causing everyone to look at him.

Harry cleared his throat, drawing the attention away from Ron. "So, what have you two been up to?"

"The usual," Ron replied sullenly, "life as an Auror is much less interesting without you-know-who around."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed.

Harry, however, let out a low chuckle. "I know what you mean, mate. Life isn't as fun when you don't get to put as many dark wizards in Azkaban."

"I'll drink to that," Ron smirked, holding up his cup and taking a sip.

"What about you, Hermione?" Ginny asked, shooting a quick glare in the direction of her boyfriend, though Harry seemed blissfully unaware that he was under Ginny's gaze.

"Well we have had a couple of hard cases in the Magical Law Enforcement department, but nothing I can't handle," Hermione smiled. "What about you?"

"Well, I got asked to be a seeker on the Holyhead Harpies team! Isn't that great? So I start in a couple of weeks, training mostly—just to get a feel for the team and the other team members."

"Oh Ginny that's wonderful news!" Hermione exclaimed, "How come neither you nor Harry mentioned this before?"

"Waiting for the right time I guess," Ginny smiled, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Shame you didn't get picked for the Chudley Cannons," Ron said under his breath. Harry, who was taking a sip of coffee tried to swallow too quickly and ended up choking, much to Ron's amusement.

"What was that, Ronald?" Ginny asked, her tone was polite but her eyes stated otherwise.

"Nothing… nothing, just talking to myself again," Ron replied, chuckling.

"Well, congratulations! I'll bet it won't be too long before you're made the captain," Hermione smiled warmly at her friend.

"I'm not _that_ good Hermione," Ginny smirked.

"Of course you are," Harry interrupted quickly, "they don't pick people to play on international teams if they aren't extremely good players," he reminded her softly.

"Well I'm nothing compared to the great Harry Potter," Ginny laughed, nudging her boyfriend. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you to join!"

"No, everyone knows Harry's real place is with the aurors," Ron interjected, "he's a natural. It _is_ his rightful place, after all. Even Skeeter reckons he's revolutionised the department."

"She's still writing?" Harry asked, chuckling, "thought she went out of business years ago."

"Don't be stupid, Harry," Hermione replied briskly, "people like Skeeter never go out of business, they just hide—waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce," she sniffed.

"Yes, well, the less to be said about that the better," Ginny smiled. "How is mum, by the way? I haven't seen in her in a while…" Ginny trailed off, looking slightly downcast.

"She's fine," Ron smirked, "a bit put-out that you haven't come to visit us recently. She doesn't seem to realise you have your own life now…" he finished quietly. No sooner had Ron finished what he was saying, Ginny shot an accusing glare in Harry's direction.

"It's not my fault!" Harry replied, bewildered.

"I didn't say it was," Ginny replied, shrugging, "but I think we should go back for another visit soon. We'll get mum knocking on our door otherwise."

"She has threatened to do that already," Hermione laughed.

Silence settled in again, the four companions feeling as comfortable as they could in each other's presence, not feeling the need to talk. Ginny reached out and grabbed a couple of cakes, passing one to Harry and nibbling on the other one herself. Ron's eyebrows rose, as he watched the look exchanged between Harry and his sister. Hermione, wanting to diffuse the tension she thought inevitable, put her hand softly on Ron's forearm. He turned to her and smiled softly, pulling her in for a hug.

"So, how is the house progressing?" Hermione asked Ginny, who's eyes shone brightly with apparent excitement.

"It is going great! I think we'll be done soon. You have to come around and see it once it is finished, perhaps we can make an evening meal out of it," Ginny gushed—sounding much like her old school-girl self than she usually did, Harry noticed. Then again, she was often like this around Hermione, reverting to her old self, a less controlled version of who she was now. Harry preferred this side of Ginny to her other side—the side that had lost her big brother and faced a war, of which she did not expect to survive. But she had. It had damaged her, of course, much like it had Harry; but within each other's company they were learning to move past it, to accept what had happened and to look to the future, not the past.

"Yes, we definitely should!" Hermione beamed back, also glad at her best friend's enthusiasm.

"How long are we going to stay here?" Ron asked, breaking the silence.

"Not sure mate," Harry shrugged, "the girls need to do some catching up."

"Oh shut up, Harry," Ginny chided, poking her boyfriend in the ribs, "we'll go in a minute. We're not on a tight schedule here."

"Well, if everyone has finished their drinks…" Hermione added tentatively.

"Don't feel pressured by the guys, Hermione," Ginny laughed, "they're just impatient. Besides, there are still cakes left."

"Best get eating then," Ron grinned, pulling a cake off of the platter and demolishing half of it with one bite. "Wow, these are just like mum's cakes!"

"I know," Ginny agreed, "it makes me miss her cooking."

"Does Harry not cook?" Ron asked, smirking at Harry from across the table.

"I do!" Harry protested. "It's not my fault if my food doesn't live up to Mrs Weasley's!"

"Nowhere near," Ginny muttered, to which Hermione laughed.

"It isn't surprising," Hermione added, "I didn't think Harry would be very good at the _domestic _side of life."

"I'm sat right here!" Harry grumbled.

Ginny laughed. "We know you are, sweetie."

"So who does the majority of cooking out of you two?" Ron asked.

"Gin," Harry replied instantly, "I guess there is only so much of my cooking she can take…"

"That's true," Ginny replied, smiling, "but I'm not the best at cooking either," she admitted.

"I think you're better than you give yourself credit for," Harry replied slowly, "at least your food _kind _of tastes like your mum's… and yours has never given me food poisoning," he added on the end, albeit reluctantly.

"You gave Ginny food poisoning?" Hermione asked, eyebrows shooting into her bushy hair. "Your cooking can't be _that _bad, surely?"

"It sounds it," Ron sniggered loudly.

"Maybe you should get some advice from Mrs Weasley," Hermione suggested.

"I think mum would kill him," Ginny replied, laughing.

"I _know_ she would," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted, "should we go?"

"I'm up for that," Ron replied.

"Yeah, if everyone's ready," Harry replied.

"I'm good to go," Ginny replied, smiling.

The four stood up, and walked towards the door. They all chorused _'thank you' _to Madam Puddifoot before stepping out into the chilling winter air. Harry watched, amused, as Ron caught hold of Hermione's hand, and she sent a soppy look in his direction. He had to hold back the laugh that threatened to escape—after so many years of seeing Hermione and Ron at war with each other and each concealing their true feelings, seeing it displayed so outright was a little unnerving.

Ginny took hold of his hand then, entwining her fingers through his, bringing him back to reality. Automatically he turned, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. When he turned back to face the other couple, he found Ron scowling at him, his eyebrows raised. Harry shrugged, sending an apologetic smile over to his friend.

"So," Harry said, breaking eye contact with Ron. "Are we off to the Shrieking Shack now, Hermione?"

"Only if you and Ginny want to," Hermione fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable.

"I think it is a great idea," Harry assured her. "We haven't been back for a while…" he trailed off; the words that he meant to say getting caught in his throat.

"No, well, that's what I thought," Hermione smiled tentatively, "and I thought it might be a place you might want to go back and visit."

Harry threw a grateful smile in Hermione's direction, but his grip tightened on Ginny's hand until it was uncomfortably tight.

"Ouch, Harry, you're starting to hurt!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand out of her boyfriend's grip and rubbing it.

"Sorry Gin," he mumbled.

She flashed Harry a brief smile, before turning to Ron and Hermione, who were stood watching. "Why don't you guys go on ahead? We will catch up with you in a minute."

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Hermione elbowed him none-too-discretely in the ribs. "Sure, see you guys in a minute."

As they began to walk away, Ginny turned back to Harry, her eyes gentle but curious. "What's wrong, Harry?"

"It's nothing," he replied quickly, "let's go; it's freezing out here."

"Harry, I know there's something wrong. Please, just tell me what it is."

"It's the first place I met Sirius," Harry said abruptly. "Okay? It's where he asked me to live with him for the first time and…" he trailed off, his eyes fixed on Ginny's, begging her to understand.

"Do you want to go somewhere else, instead? I'm sure Ron and Hermione will understand, we'll just meet them when they're done there."

"No, no," Harry shook his head, "we should go. I said we would."

"Harry…"

"No Gin, it will be fine, honestly. Now let's go before Ron starts to think I've whisked you away," he chucked to himself, although to Ginny it sounded strained, and painful.

"He's already thinking it," Ginny assured him, which earned another quiet chuckle—though this one sounded more genuine. Ginny reached out and took Harry's hand in her own once again, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Hermione and Ron were deep in discussion as Harry and Ginny approached them. Harry, unwilling to interrupt their conversation, began to slowly back away, but Ginny pulled him forward once more—coughing lightly to signal their arrival. Hermione spun on her heels, her face tinged with pink, but her smile fixed in place none-the-less.

"We're back," Ginny announced.

"So we noticed," Ron smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"We were just talking," Hermione began nervously, "about the Shrieking Shack. We can go somewhere else, if you'd like?" she asked, turning her eyes to Harry. However, it wasn't him that replied.

"Harry and I talked about it," Ginny started, giving her boyfriend a slight nudge. "There are a lot of memories that come with that place, but we want to make new memories with you two."

"Are you sure, mate?" Ron asked, glancing in Harry's direction.

Harry smiled, thankful for his best friend's concern. "Yeah, I'm sure. I've got to face up to it sooner or later," he shrugged, "it might as well be sooner."

"Yeah…" Ron replied, nervously looking around. "Should we go, then?"

"Yeah, lets," Hermione beamed, glancing around at the group. Grabbing hold of Ron's hand, she began to pull him forward. Ginny and Harry exchanged glances, smirking. It was still a slight shock to see them together; happily walking hand-in-hand through the snow. Harry often found himself wondering what took them so long to figure out that they were perfect for each other. Then again, it wasn't until his sixth year that he realised that he liked Ginny.

* * *

They reached the Shrieking Shack a few minutes later, where Hermione and Ron were waiting for them. Ron rolled his eyes at their approach which Harry noted, but dutifully ignored. In silence, all four companions walked up to the fence surrounding the area, and looked upon the Shrieking Shack, a little into the distance. Everyone was lost in their own memories, both happy and sad. Harry felt an overwhelming sense of grief, but as he moved to walk away Ginny slid her hand into his, grasping it tightly. He bought his eyes up to meet hers, and was surprised to find her eyes were full of tears. Before he could ask she shook her head slowly, indicating that he wasn't to ask.

"It hasn't changed, has it?" Hermione breathed.

"No," Harry replied, "no it hasn't."

"Can you remember when Sirius bit me here?" Ron snorted, "I thought he was trying to kill me!"

"Why would anyone _want_ to kill you?" Ginny replied sarcastically, sticking out her tongue at her older brother. "He was only after the rat."

"Pettigrew," Harry amended. "His name was Pettigrew."

The four of them lapsed back into silence, their memories once again getting the better of them. Surprisingly, the longer they looked, the better they felt. Especially Harry.

"It's like I'm forgetting," he whispered out loud.

"I know," Hermione replied, her eyes shining with unfallen tears. "Just being here… it's like the wounds are healing."

"Yes," Harry agreed. "I remember it all, being here. I was so excited to go and live with Sirius—I had no idea what the future held."

"None of us did mate," Ron reminded him. "Had we known—"

"Everything would have been different," Ginny finished, tightening her grip on Harry's hand. Harry smiled, mostly to himself.

"I'm glad I don't have to face this alone," he murmured, mostly to himself. He was surprised when Ron turned around, walked over and slung his arm over his shoulder.

"You're never alone," Ron smiled. "Everyone has seen things here—things they wish they hadn't. But we are here _now_. We can make memories. Happy memories." Harry smiled, thankful he had such good friends. He knew that they would help him in times like this. It had been a few years since the war, but Harry often found himself lost in thought and grief, wondering if he could have changed things; if he could have spared innocent lives. Ginny was often the one to pull him out of his thoughts. But sometimes, he needed the two people that understood that hardship the most. Hermione and Ron. His best friends, and his family. Years after the war they called the three of them 'The Golden Trio', saying that they were all heroes—and they were placed on chocolate frog cards, much to Ron's amusement. But Harry didn't want that. He didn't want fame and acknowledgement for his bravery. He wanted to bring back the lives of the people that had died. He knew, above everyone else, that Ron and Hermione understood that need the most.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice cut through Harry's thoughts like a knife, and he slowly attached himself back to Earth.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go to Honeydukes, it's too cold to be stood out here." Harry glanced at Ginny who was shaking, her teeth chattering together. He placed her hands tenderly within his and began to rub, hoping to warm them up.

"Okay," Harry replied absent-mindedly, still attempting to warm Ginny's hands. He took off his coat that he had thought to wear, and wrapped it around Ginny's shoulders. She leant back into the warmth and hummed from the back of her throat appreciatively.

"Thanks," she smiled. "Won't you be cold?"

"I'll be fine," he assured her. He waited for her to thread her arms through the sleeves, before taking her hand in his and moving away from the fence, and from the Shrieking Shack. All four walked, idly chit-chatting as they made their way to Honeydukes. There was no need for big, meaningful conversations—the four were at ease with each other, there was no need for anything other than idle chatter.

* * *

As they approached Honeydukes, they found themselves amidst a larger crowd of people than there was when they arrived in Hogsmeade. Children of various ages clung to their mother's arms as they went in and out of shops, carrying bags as proof of their purchases. Many of the children were carrying Zonko bags, full of merchandise that would be used to irritate siblings and frustrate their mothers. Harry smiled, remembering what mischief the twins used to cause, back when Fred was alive. Ron must have been remembering the same, because when Harry glanced across, Ron's face was pale and he looked downcast. As they attempted to navigate through the crowd, a boy of about eight stopped dead in front of Ron, his mouth hanging open. He turned around and shouted for his mother, who came hurrying through the crowds and took the boy's hand.

"Come on, we're going to be late!" she scolded him.

"But mum look, it's Ron Weasley!" the boy exclaimed, pointing at Ron. Harry's mouth, as did Ron's and Ginny's, fell open with shock. Hermione just smiled to herself. The mother raised her head to look at Ron, but shook it shortly afterwards.

"That's not Ron Weasley," she sighed.

"But it is mum, look!" the boy pulled out a chocolate frog card and pushed it into his mother's hands. The mother looked at it for a few seconds, before glancing up at Ron. Her mouth fell open. "I told you didn't I?" the boy asked, "it's Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend. Do you reckon he's here mum?"

"Of course not!" the mother exclaimed, growing tired. "We have to go Evan." She turned away at the exact same moment that Harry turned towards Ginny.

"Let's go, quickly!" he remarked. He tried to slip past the boy undetected, failing.

"Mum, mum! It's Harry Potter, see, I told you he would be with Ron! And that must be Ginny Weasley, and you—" he pointed at Hermione. "You're Granger… uh… Hermione Granger! You're The Golden Trio, and Ginny is Harry's girlfriend, isn't she?" the boy was beaming now, excited. His mother had turned around and was regarding the four with a look of approval. The boy moved forward and approached Harry. "Can I get your autograph, Mr Potter sir? And yours too, Ron. Can I just get all of yours?" he turned to face all four of them, smiling happily.

"Uh… well… uh…"

"Harry's probably too busy to sign autographs dear," the mother reminded her son gently, taking his hand. "Let's go, we're late enough already."

"I'll do you an autograph," Harry shouted over the sound of the wind. "I'm sure everyone else will, too," he smiled, glancing around at his companions, who all nodded.

* * *

Five minutes later and the autographs were complete, and the mother had taken a picture of her son with the Golden Trio plus one. Harry, who hated public visibility, was beginning to grow tired of the attention, wanting nothing more than to be at home curled up on the sofa with Ginny. Ron, however, was the opposite. He was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet—excited and joyful that he was recognised before the _great_ Harry Potter. It was something he wasn't used to, so when it happened, it was a big deal. He knew that Ron had felt overshadowed by his brothers and Harry himself all of his life—so the fame for him was well welcomed. _And well deserved,_ Harry reminded himself.

They slowly manoeuvred their way through the ever growing crowd into Honeydukes. The smell of chocolate and sweets hit their noses immediately, reminding Harry of the first day he was here. Back then he was not allowed out as there was a so-called killer on the loose. Now, Harry was free to do as he liked and his godfather was no longer. Tears threatened to break out, but Harry forced them back. _Today is not the day,_ he told himself sternly, _I will have fun with my friends. _

Ginny tugged his hand, pulling him swiftly away to the Sugar Quills that she adored so much. Ron had dragged Hermione away towards the huge pile of Chocolate Frogs—his weakness.

"Everyone looks so happy," Harry remarked to Ginny, glancing around at the people milling around the shop.

"Hmm?" Ginny asked, still admiring the Sugar Quills.

"Everyone looks happy," Harry repeated. "When I was here before, everyone looked miserable. Probably because Sirius was on the loose, and everyone was scared about Voldemort. But now… everyone looks so relaxed."

"It's because Voldemort's gone, his Death Eaters are either in Azkaban or in hiding and the Wizarding World is safe once more, Harry," Ginny replied, turning to face her boyfriend with an armful of Sugar Quills. She laughed when she saw Harry's shocked expression. "What? They aren't all for me," she stuck her tongue out and then glanced down at the miniature pile she held in her arms. "Well, most of them aren't. Someone my mum knows has just had triplets and I thought I would drop some of these in for them and for her other son and daughter."

"Okay," Harry laughed. "You have me convinced."

"Good," Ginny replied. "Are you getting anything?"

"I might get some Crystallised Pineapple," Harry replied, licking his lips. It had been a favourite of his ever since he had tried some of Slughorn's.

"That's over there," Ginny pointed towards a shelf over the other end of the shop. "Pick me up a box too, would you please?"

"Sure," Harry replied absently, as he moved towards the shelf. He noted Ron and Hermione stood a short distance away, discussing something. As he reached the shelf he picked up two boxes, and then began to move towards Hermione and Ron. "Alright?" he asked Ron as he got closer.

"Alright," Ron replied, grinning. His arms were full like Ginny's, except his were full of Chocolate Frogs. Ron noticed Harry eyeing up his pile and his ears reddened. "They're not all for me! My mum's cousin has just had triplets and I thought I'd drop these by for the babies and for her daughter and son."

"I'm hearing a lot about triplets today," Harry commented idly, "Ginny said she was dropping sugar quills off to that family too."

"Oh she did, did she?" Ron muttered, scowling in the direction of his sister, though she was turned away from him.

"Yeah," Harry replied. He turned to face Hermione, who was smiling softly at him. "Alright 'Mione? Are you getting anything?"

"Sherbet Lemons," Hermione smiled, holding the bulging packet up. "Dumbledore asked the owners if they would kindly stock them, so he wouldn't have to go so far for them. They found it funny, as they are Muggle sweets, but they obliged… apparently they're very popular here."

"Well," Harry remarked, holding back a laugh. "Typical Dumbledore I suppose."

"Yes," Hermione agreed, smiling.

"How many Chocolate Frogs did you want, Ron?" Ginny asked as she reached the trio, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"I'm taking some round to visit mum's friend," Ron replied quickly. "I heard you are, too."

"Oh…. Uh… y-yeah, I am," Ginny stuttered in response, the signature ear-reddening of the Weasleys kicking in.

"You can't use that," Ron hissed at his sister. "I said it first."

"I don't think so," Ginny laughed, "I told Harry first."

"And I told 'Mione first," Ron replied curtly.

"Told us what?" Hermione and Harry asked together.

"About mum's friend," Ginny and Ron replied in unison.

"What do you mean by Gin can't use that, Ron?" Harry asked, confused.

"It's nothing," Ron replied, scowling.

"Gin?" Harry asked.

"It's nothing. It's your fault, Ron! You can't just use it the same day I do!"

"Well it was only meant for use around mum, and we could all get away with that!" Ron shot back.

"Well you said it was 'mum's friend' too, if you had said someone else it wouldn't have been so bad!"

"That's going nothing to do with anything," Ron replied angrily.

"Well if Hermione and Harry ask mum about this friend then they're going to know that it's an excuse because there's not going to be a friend with triplets and two young children already, is there?" Ginny scowled, before her expression turned to one of shock, and her hand jumped to her mouth.

"Wait, what?" Hermione asked, her expression bemused but confused.

"Oh Merlin," Ginny mumbled through her hands.

"It was an excuse?" Harry's eyebrows rose as a laugh threatened to break out.

"Yeah," Ron replied heavily. "We made it up when we used to go to the sweet shop with our allowance and buy lots of sweets. It was mum that scolded us, so Ginny, Fred, George, Charlie and I came up with this idea. We were going to tell mum that our friend's mum had a baby and that we were going to drop sweets and stuff around for it," he grimaced. "But really we would eat all the sweets ourselves."

"So why use an excuse? You're not 10 years old anymore," Harry laughed.

"Dunno, just natural I guess," Ron shrugged. "But she—" he pointed towards Ginny, "used the same excuse that I did. Now we're busted."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, before bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. In between laughs, Harry managed to choke out "you genuinely believe you're going to get into trouble, don't you?"

"Not really…" Ginny replied carefully, glancing between Hermione and Harry.

"What do you think, Hermione? Should we tell Mrs Weasley about the fact that her grown-up children are using excuses to buy lots of sweets?"

"No!" Ron interrupted, his eyes wide. "Don't do that!"

"Well, Harry… I think naughty children deserve to be punished," Hermione smiled, before breaking out into a fit of the giggles once more.

"All right, laugh it up," Ginny glared at Harry. "But you're in trouble tonight, mister," she laughed.

"I don't think I want to know," Ron grimaced, looking slightly sick, which sent Harry and Hermione into a new round of laughter, with Ginny joining in. Eventually Ron joined in, too. Harry could only imagine what the four of them looked like—four grown adults in hysterics in the middle of a crowded sweet shop.

"It feels good to be able to do this again, doesn't it?" Hermione said, once the laughter had stopped.

"It sure does," Ginny replied, smiling. The four had seen each other frequently since the war had ended, but they hadn't visited Hogsmeade before. Harry supposed it was because there was too much history there for all of them but all the same—it felt good to revisit with his best friends, and his girlfriend.

* * *

Once everyone had paid for their confectionary they trooped outside, each clutching a paper bag with their choice of sweets inside. Whilst Ron and Hermione were talking, Harry turned to Ginny.

"What are we doing now?" he asked.

"I thought this was it," she replied softly. "I have some stuff to sort out before my first Quidditch practice…"

"Okay," Harry replied, smiling. He knew that Ginny was taking her new position on the team very seriously, though she doubted her abilities often. "Hey, Hermione," he called over the din that the other shoppers were making. "I think we are going to go."

"Already?" Hermione looked downcast.

"Yeah, Gin's got some stuff to sort out before her Quidditch practice starts, so."

"I can't believe it. My little sister, a Quidditch star," Ron sighed wistfully, no doubt remembering his own position on the Gryffindor's team.

"I'm not a star yet, Ron," Ginny replied casually. "But you wait. I'll bet I'll outshine all of you, even Mr I-defeated-you-know-who," she nudged Harry playfully.

"I have no doubt you will," Harry replied, laughing, as he leant over and kissed Ginny lightly on the cheek.

"Well that's just put me off my food for a week," Ron commented as Harry moved back into his former position.

"Don't be immature Ronald," Ginny sighed. "Anyway, we must be going. But we'll see you soon okay?"

"Sure," Hermione replied, beaming. "Don't leave it too long. And you have to come and visit Mrs Weasley soon; she keeps dropping hints about going around to your place and dragging you around for dinner."

"I don't doubt it," Harry muttered under his breath. "But we'll see you real soon. See you guys later," he waved, taking Ginny's hand in his own and focusing on his destination—his and Ginny's little home. The last sight he saw before the familiar squeeze of apparition kicked in was Ron putting his arm around Hermione's shoulder, and Hermione moving in and leaning her head on his arm. Harry smiled and held Ginny's hand a little tighter. Everyone was happy—and that was all that mattered.

* * *

_**Sorry this chapter was so long! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you all have a fantastic week :) next chapter will be up next Sunday. Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Proposal

"Are you sure she's going to like it?" Harry asked. His knees were hurting, even with the soft mat underneath them but he ignored it—he needed to ask the question.

"Of course I'm sure, Harry. She'll love it, I promise," Hermione reassured him. Harry was using the floo network to talk to Hermione, the only person that knew of his plans. He wanted reassurance that Ginny was going to love what he had planned, and Hermione seemed like the logical person to ask.

"Hermione, who are you—" Ron's voice came from behind Hermione. Hermione bit her lip, her forehead creased in thought.

"I have to go Harry, I'm sorry. Good luck, okay? I'm sure everything will go fine," she assured him. "Do you want me to keep this a secret from Ron?" her voice was pained.

"Yeah, please," Harry replied. He knew that it was hard for Hermione, keeping this a secret from Ron, but he wanted as few people as possible to know. So far it was only Hermione and the house-elves that knew—no-one else had a clue, including Ginny.

"Alright," she sighed. "Will you come to the Burrow afterwards? Ron and I are heading there now to see everybody."

"I think we'll make an appearance," Harry smiled. "If everything goes okay, of course…"

"Everything will go fine," she smiled at her best friend, "I can't believe it, you're going to propose!"

"I know," Harry sighed. "I can't believe it either. Look, I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Okay," she replied. "Good luck, Harry."

"Thanks," he replied. With one last nervous smile, he pulled his head out of the fire and slumped against the side of the couch, his heart racing. "I can't believe I'm going to do this," he murmured softly to himself. "I hope she says yes."

"She will, Master Harry," a squeaky voice came from behind him. He turned and found himself face to face with Kreacher, his house elf. After the war was over, Harry had called Kreacher, though he wasn't certain as to whether the elf was alive or not. However, the elf had come when called; wearing the biggest smile that Harry had ever seen him give. "Is Master Harry going to get dressed?" Kreacher asked him tentatively.

"In a minute, Kreacher," Harry told the house-elf softly. "I'm trying to summon some courage."

"Perhaps some treacle tart—to which the Master is so partial—to calm the nerves?"

"No thank you, Kreacher. How is Gin? Is she nearly ready?"

"Winky is helping Mistress Ginny get ready, sir," Kreacher replied tonelessly.

"Okay… does she suspect anything?" Harry asked.

"Kreacher does not believe that she suspects anything, sir, though Kreacher cannot be sure."

"Okay, thank you Kreacher. I'll get ready now." The elf bowed low and backed off, moving towards the kitchen with incredible speed for how old he was. Harry took a deep breath, his hands shaking slightly, and attempted to calm the ocean of nerves in his stomach. He then turned towards the steps and began to climb, walking off in the direction of the guest bedroom where Kreacher had pressed and hung his suit inside the oak wood wardrobe.

* * *

Half an hour later and he was ready. He glanced in the mirror, wondering if he looked adequate for this occasion. He reached his hand tentatively towards his hair, wanting to flatten it, but gave up before he had tried. "No use," he reminded himself, "my hair never lies flat." Instead he inspected every inch of himself in the mirror, ensuring that there was nothing out of place or no dust on his attire. He very much wanted this to be perfect and he knew from Ginny's previous comments about his clothing he needed to look exceptional tonight.

Still, he could not stop shaking. It was not only his hands trembling but his lip too, and his knees. He felt weak all over, ready to fall at any given moment. "Pull yourself together," he told himself sternly. "This is important, you _can't _mess it up. You know exactly what you have to do. You've been planning this for weeks now, with Kreacher and Hermione. They believe you can do it, and so should you. She loves you," he told himself quietly. "She's already told you that. She's already said she wanted to get married one day… you have nothing to be afraid of."

A light pop behind him signalled the arrival of Kreacher once more. "Master Harry looks exceptional," the old elf croaked. "Except his shoes. Kreacher spent all morning polishing your shoes until they shone, sir, but now Kreacher sees that you are not wearing them?"

"I thought they looked a little too fancy," Harry admitted slowly.

"Not too fancy for the occasion, sir. You is proposing, you ought to look smart," Kreacher told him sternly.

"Did Hermione tell you that?" Harry asked.

"No, Master Harry. Even Kreacher knows that proposing is a big deal. You ought to look clean and tidy, sir, because clean and tidy attracts the ladies," Kreacher responded quickly.

"Alright, alright, you have me convinced," Harry chuckled, "pass the shoes over, would you please?"

"Of course, Master Harry!" Kreacher replied, scurrying to where the shining shoes were placed and picking them up delicately, as if they were about to break. He walked slowly over to where Harry was and placed them before him on the ground.

"Thank you, Kreacher. That'll be all," he told the house-elf. "You can wait in the kitchen. Help yourself to treacle tart," he added, as an afterthought.

"Thank you, sir, you is most kind. Should Kreacher be saving Master Harry and Mistress Ginny some?"

"Uh, I don't think so. If the plans go well, I believe we will be visiting the Burrow. Don't wait up for us, okay?" Kreacher nodded to show his understanding, before heading out of the door and down the stairs. Harry heard him mutter something to himself but he didn't wonder—Kreacher had never been able to shake the habit of speaking to himself, despite no longer being alone. Instead, Harry took off the shoes he had thought to wear and slipped on the ones that Kreacher had tirelessly been polishing for him that morning. He glanced once more in the mirror and sighed, still thinking that the brightly polished shoes were too much. Giving a firm nod at his reflection, he tugged on his sleeve anxiously and began walking out of the room and downstairs, into the living room, where Ginny would be meeting him shortly.

* * *

Twenty minutes later and there was noise coming from upstairs, which Harry took to mean that Ginny was ready. He fidgeted anxiously, his hand automatically reaching up to mess with his hair. No matter how many deep breaths he took he couldn't calm the nerves fluttering about in his stomach, nor the slight shaking of his hands. It was frustrating for Harry, but it did not compare to the worry he felt at what he was going to do.

Footsteps on the stairs. Harry glanced over at the clock, it was 6:34pm. It would seem to Ginny, Harry thought, as the right kind of time to go to a restaurant for a romantic meal. Slowly Ginny came in to view as she walked down the stairs. She was wearing a knee-length midnight blue dress, which clung to her curves perfectly. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun, with several curled loose strands hanging down. She was wearing the small heart locket that Harry had gotten her for her last birthday—inside of which there was a picture of Harry on one side, and her family on the other. Her shoes were open-toed and black, and they complimented the dress better than anything else she could have worn, Harry thought. Ginny was accompanied by Winky, the small house-elf that had asked to be in Harry's service once the war was over. Harry supposed she felt some kind of attachment to him as he was a Wizard that treated house-elves kindly, and was good friends with Dobby, her friend. Winky had been told by Harry to help Ginny get ready, but to not let on about Harry's plans for that evening. Ginny looked up, straight into Harry's eyes and smiled—a soft, delicate smile that Harry had come to love. He felt his nerves dissipate a little at her smile, and he grinned back, not wanting to let up on how nervous he was, since that would surely cause her to suspect something.

"Hi," Ginny said as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She began to walk towards him and Harry felt breathless, lost in thought as to how gracefully she moved across the floor. "Harry?" she asked nervously, when he didn't respond.

"Oh… hi," Harry smiled back, a little nervous. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Kreacher smile at him, and it was all that Harry could do to prevent bursting out in anxious laughter. "You look beautiful," he said eventually, after a few minutes silence.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, "I wasn't sure what to wear, I didn't want to wear anything too fancy, but Winky insisted that this was perfect…" she trailed off, glancing around at Winky who was smiling.

"It is perfect," Harry assured her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure," Ginny bit her lip. "Harry, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Harry replied automatically. "If I told you it would ruin it."

"Okay," she said.

"You'll love it," Harry added, smiling at Ginny. "But I need you to do something for me first," he said quietly.

"What is it?" she replied.

Harry pulled out a blindfold from his jacket pocket. He passed it silently to Ginny, who inspected it for a few short seconds. "Could you please put that on?" Harry asked.

"You want me to put on a blindfold?" Ginny asked, her face showing her confusion.

"Yes," Harry replied uncertainly, "it's a surprise," he added.

"Um… okay," she replied. "How do I—"

"Winky, could you please help Ginny with the blindfold?" Harry asked the house-elf, before Ginny had a chance to finish her sentence. "You might want to bend down," he added slowly to Ginny, who knelt down. Winky gently bought the blindfold to Ginny's eyes, before tying it up at the back. "Can you see anything?" Harry asked. "Be honest," he added, laughing.

"I can't see a thing," Ginny replied, wringing her hands together nervously. "Harry, why is this necessary?"

"I told you, Gin. I want this to be a surprise, I don't want you to know where we're going." She nodded, understanding, though she wasn't sure about what was happening. Harry walked over to Ginny, taking her hand in his. "I'm going to apparated us there," he told her. "Is that alright?"

"That's fine," Ginny assured him. Harry nodded, more to himself than to her, and glanced around at the house-elves. Both of them smiling and mouthed 'good luck, sir' and Harry smiled in return. He focused on his destination, and as he felt the familiar squeeze of apparition he squeezed Ginny's hand in a gesture of comfort.

* * *

As they landed at their destination Ginny stumbled, and Harry leant forward and caught her gently, manoeuvring her so she was stood up straight. Glancing around, he made sure that everything was in position. He noticed the Holyhead Harpies team members on their broomsticks at the far end of the pitch, hovering level with the top of the stadium. Harry had agreed on a signal with the team—once Ginny's blindfold was off, Harry would send up a shower of red sparks with his wand and the team would begin their descent towards them. The red sparks would also signal the manager, who was waiting eagerly in the office, ready to push the button that would activate Harry's idea once the team were halfway across the pitch.

"I'm taking your blindfold off now," Harry told Ginny, as he reached up to undo Winky's knot. After several minutes of struggling, however, it was obvious that Winky had tied too complicated a knot for Harry to undo. Instead he bought out his wand and tapped it gently against the knot. It then proceeded to untangle itself and the blindfold slipped off Ginny's face and onto the floor where it lay, motionless. As Ginny was busy rubbing her eyes, glad to be rid of the darkness, Harry subtly managed to send up red sparks with his wand, using a non-verbal spell. Eventually Ginny looked up. She didn't look her surroundings or her team-members who were currently flying towards her; instead she looked straight into Harry's eyes.

"Harry, what…?" she began quietly.

"Look behind you," he replied simply, gesturing towards the team. He watched as Ginny looked around, catching sight of the players coming steadily towards them, a banner held up between each of them.

"I can't see what it says," Ginny murmured.

"Don't worry, you will," he assured her. As the team reached about the half way mark the pitch suddenly went dark, and the words 'Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?' were written across the stadium, in the same style that was used at the Quidditch World Cup, when Krum flying was projected onto the stadium. Ginny's gasp could be heard just as the team members touched on to the ground, still clutching the banner between them.

Harry watched as Ginny looked at the banner, and then up at the words projected on to the stadium. He could feel his own heart beating frantically in his chest, excited for her reaction, but also nervous that she would think it was a little too extravagant.

"Oh Harry," Ginny swung around to face him, her eyes full of tears. "It's wonderful."

Harry smiled, and took Ginny's left hand in his own. He knelt down onto the grass, still clutching Ginny's hand. With his free hand he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box, containing an engagement ring. It was silver, embedded with emeralds, the colour of Harry's eyes. He had spent months looking for the right ring, and had decided that this was the one. He opened the box and held it just above his knee, so that Ginny could see it. The little gasp that she emitted Harry took for a good sign, and he whooped with glee internally.

"Ginny, I've wanted to ask you this for a long time. When I first met you I had no idea this was going to happen. But as the years passed you became a close friend, someone I could always trust—and someone I grew to love. I never thought I would find anyone like you... you are perfect to me, in every single way. And that's why tonight I have the indescribable pleasure of asking you… will you marry me?"

There was a short pause, during which Harry waited for Ginny's answer with baited breath. After a few seconds, Ginny tugged on Harry's hand, wanting him to stand up. He did so, slowly, nervous about her upcoming response. There was another pause, before Ginny threw her arms around Harry's neck and passionately pulled him in for a kiss that he wasn't expecting. When she pulled apart several seconds later, tears were streaming down her face, though she was still smiling.

"Oh Harry, of course I'll marry you!" she laughed. Harry, screaming with delight inside, maintained his composure as he pulled the engagement ring from the box and slipped it on to Ginny's third finger on her left hand. "A perfect fit," she whispered, holding her hand out and inspecting the ring.

"I love you," Harry told Ginny, tears welling up in his eyes. "And I will always love you," he said softly, pulling Ginny back in for another kiss. It was minutes later when they broke apart this time—and they broke apart to the sound of clapping and cheering from Ginny's team-mates. Ginny glanced around at them, grinning.

"Congratulations, Ginny!" they shouted in unison. Ginny didn't reply, too overwhelmed with emotions to be able to form a coherent response. She just nodded and smiled at each of them, still slightly crying. She turned back to Harry, leaning into him, savouring the moment. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he placed his chin on her head, shocked, but ecstatic.

"This is the start of something wonderful, Harry," Ginny murmured into Harry's chest.

"I know," he mumbled back, kissing the top of her head. He lingered a moment longer than he normally would, taking a second to breathe in Ginny's sweet smell.

Ginny pulled away from Harry then, although she kept a tight hold on his hand. "What next?" she asked, smirking.

"Whatever you want," he smiled at her, squeezing her hand softly.

"How about… we go to mums?"

"Sure," Harry nodded. "I'm sure your mum will kill me for not telling her beforehand though."

"She didn't know?" Ginny gasped. "Oh Merlin's beard Harry, you're going to be in a lot of trouble." She chuckled at the thought.

"You ready to go, then?" Harry asked, laughing gently to himself.

"Oh, yes!"

"Hey guys, thanks for tonight. I owe you one!" Harry called out to the Holyhead Harpies team players, who were retreating slightly with their manager in tow. As he called out they turned back and held up their hands, which Harry took to meant 'don't worry about it!'

"How did you get them to play along?" Ginny asked. "They can be difficult at the best of times."

"They all love you, Gin," Harry laughed loudly. "They'd do anything for you. And they thought the idea was perfect which, I must admit, I did too."

"It was perfect, Harry. I'm surprised you managed to pull it off. The-boy-who-finally-learned-to-avoid-disaster," she stuck her tongue out at Harry, whose eyebrows were raised.

"I'll give you that one," he smirked. "Let's go, then." He held out his hand for Ginny to take, which she did. As he pictured the Burrow clearly in his mind, ready to apparate, he glanced down at Ginny. She was smiling up at him—not speaking, or crying, just smiling. As their eyes met, she stood on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on Harry's cheek. As Harry felt the familiar squeeze of apparition in his stomach, he felt Ginny's hand squeeze his own. Harry smiled to himself—happy with the way things were going.

* * *

Seconds later, they arrived at the Burrow. Even from outside, the distance they were away from the front door, Harry could hear the noise from inside. He remembered Hermione saying that she and Ron were visiting tonight because the whole family were round. In Harry's mind, it couldn't have turned out more perfect. The proposal turned out wonderful, and the fact that all of the Weasleys were here meant that he and Ginny could announce their news to the whole family at once.

Ginny practically dragged Harry to the front door, grinning from ear to ear. Harry, on the other hand, was growing increasingly nervous. He thought the Weasley clan would be happy for him—but he was becoming less and less certain with every passing second. What if Ron was angry? Harry knew that his best friend only wanted what was best for his little sister, but what if he felt that Harry wasn't the best for her? Harry shook his head, laughing internally at himself. _Of course he'll be happy for us,_ Harry scolded himself. _He knows that I make Ginny happy, and that I'd never hurt her. That's all he wants to know. _

Harry turned to smile at Ginny, before raising his fist and knocking on the old oak door. The door swung open almost immediately, and they were faced with a rather jolly looking Molly Weasley. "Oh hello Ginny, and Harry too! Why, what a marvellous surprise! Well come in, come in," she beamed, holding the door wide open and allowing Harry and Ginny to pass. Ginny kept her hand within Harry's, concealing her ring from view. She wanted to let her family know through her own words—not through them accidentally catching a glimpse of her ring.

"Harry!" George loudly exclaimed from the table, causing Bill, Charlie, Ron, Hermione, Percy and Arthur to turn around and stare at the couple. "I didn't think you were coming!"

"Neither did I," Molly added, appearing from behind Ginny and Harry. "Hermione told us you two were out to dinner tonight."

"We were," Harry replied, smiling. "We've finished now, though, so we thought we would drop by."

"We have some news…" Ginny started, motioning for her mother to sit down at the table. Molly did so, glancing anxiously between Ginny and Harry as she sat.

"Is everything alright? Ginny? Harry? Nothing has happened, has it?"

"Mum, relax," Ginny smiled. "It's good news." She took her hand out of Harry's and held it out in front of her, in full view of everyone. "We're getting married!" she squealed.

The noise that followed was unbelievable. Eruptions of 'congratulations' were heard from around the table, and an 'it's about time' from George, who winked at Harry as he said it. Ron, however, said nothing. He stood up, and walked towards Harry. His face was blank, but the corners of his mouth were twitching slightly—though he appeared to be fighting it.

"Harry? Is this… true?" Ron asked, glancing over at the ring on Ginny's finger as he did so.

"Yeah, Ron. I've asked her to marry me."

"Well…" he started, glancing around the room, "you know if you ever hurt her, you'll have me to answer to, right?"

"Of course," Harry replied, smiling. He knew that if that was all Ron had to say, it meant he was okay with it.

"Congratulations, mate," Ron laughed, pulling his best friend in for a rib-crushing hug. He then moved on to Ginny, who grinned at her older big brother.

"Thanks, Ron," she kissed him on the cheek.

"It's what I'm here for," he muttered in return, before pulling her into a huge hug. When he finally released her, Hermione wrapped her arms around Ron's waist, leaning in against his chest. She whispered something to him, which Harry thought was 'I'm proud of you'. She then moved from Ron's embrace to Harry, who she kissed on the cheek.

"Congratulations Harry!" she murmured. "I told you she'd say yes, didn't I?"

"Hang on a minute," Ron interrupted, his eyebrows raised, "you knew that Harry was going to propose?"

Hermione's mouth fell open, realising her mistake. She glanced around at Ron, and then at Harry. Harry could practically hear Hermione's brain whirring—trying to figure out a way to diffuse the situation.

"Hermione…" Ginny started, looking over at her best friend. "You knew Harry was going to ask me to marry him and you didn't say anything?"

Hermione cleared her throat before looking at Ginny. "Harry wanted it to be a surprise," she replied.

"It's not her fault Ron," Harry laughed, "don't blame her. She walked in on me looking at ring brochures; I could hardly keep it a secret after that!"

"I guess not," Ron grumbled, "but to think, my girlfriend didn't even tell me!"

"Sorry," Hermione smiled at Ron, reaching out her hand and taking his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Molly and Arthur had been watching the scene unfold from the back. Once everything had quietened down, Molly bustled out of the kitchen and into the small living room, to magic some more chairs. Once they were in the kitchen she fussed about, settling everyone into a seat. Once everyone was comfortable, she turned to Harry.

"Now then, Harry, how did you propose?" she asked, smiling softly. All heads turned towards Harry at this point, wanting all the details.

"Well," Harry started. "It took me a while to come up with a perfect plan. I told Ginny that we were going out for a nice meal, which was the story that all of you got from Hermione. When Ginny came downstairs, all dressed up as beautifully as she is now, I apparated us both to the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch Stadium."

"A Quidditch pitch? Classy," George smirked.

"Shut up, George," Ginny laughed. "It was really romantic."

"Yeah, a Quidditch pitch," Harry continued. "Getting to be the seeker for the Holyhead Harpies was the official start of Ginny's new life with me, and I wanted to signify that by proposing there. Anyway, when we got there, it was pretty dark. Ginny was wearing a blindfold, which I had asked her to wear when she came downstairs earlier. Anyway, whilst Ginny was busy getting her blindfold off, I subtly managed to send up red sparks with my wand. Those sparks signalled to the team that they were to begin flying towards us with their banner. When they were halfway across the pitch, the manager pressed a button in the office which made the stadium go pitch black, and the words 'Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?' to appear illuminated on the seats. Then the team landed and the banner said the same thing. Then I gave a speech, and this beautiful woman here agreed to marry me," Harry finished, taking Ginny's hand and kissing it gently.

He glanced around the room, noting how silent it was. Hermione and Molly's eyes were full of tears, Arthur looked flabbergasted and Ron, George, Percy, Bill and Charlie looked amazed.

"It sounds perfect," Molly said eventually, her eyes still full of tears.

"It really was, mum," Ginny agreed, "I couldn't say no after all that, I mean it was pretty neat work—for a guy that normally falls on his face where romance is concerned," she laughed, turning around and planting a gentle kiss on Harry's cheek. "To tell you the truth, I had absolutely no idea! Even when he put the blindfold on, I still believed we were going to a restaurant! And then we arrived at the Quidditch pitch and it was dark and completely silent and a little strange, but it turned out to be the perfect proposal."

"Let's see this ring properly, then," Bill chirped up from the back. Ginny smiled and held out her hand out for inspection. There was a few seconds silence where everyone, except for Harry and Hermione, leant forward and examined the ring.

"That looks expensive," Arthur remarked lightly, though Harry caught the concern behind his words. Even though the Weasleys were not a well off family, Harry knew that they (especially Arthur and Molly) felt uncomfortable receiving money or expensive items off of other people. As Hermione had had to explain countless times to Harry, when he offered them money, or gave them expensive presents, he was making them feel bad— like they owed him for it. It didn't matter how many times Harry countered the point, or insisted that he was happy to do it, nothing ever changed.

"Don't worry about it," Harry smiled at Arthur, trying to silently reassure him. "Ginny is special to me, and I wanted the perfect ring for her." Arthur nodded, although Harry could see he wasn't comfortable. He made a quick mental note to talk to the older Weasley later.

"Anyway," Ginny started, glancing quickly at Harry, "we should get going."

"Already?" Molly asked, visibly disappointed. "You've only just arrived!"

"Well…" Ginny began, "I think we have some real celebrating to do, if you know what I mean." She winked at Hermione, who giggled. Ron looked repulsed.

"Oh please," he sighed, "spare me the details."

"We'll be back soon," Harry promised, getting to his feet. "Really soon."

"How about you pop up on Sunday for dinner, dear? Both of you, of course. I'll cook a roast and invite everyone around again… It really will be wonderful having the whole family here for dinner."

"Well then, we'll see you Sunday," Ginny smiled, getting to her feet. Harry walked towards her, his hand automatically reaching out to hold hers. He stood silent while Ginny murmured her goodbyes to her family. When Ginny lightly squeezed Harry's hand—her signal for being ready to leave—he concentrated in their little house in Godric's Hollow and, with a small _pop_, they were gone.

* * *

_**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one will be up on Sunday... Thanks for reading! :) **_


	6. Chapter 6: Family Talk

Harry and Ginny were sat on the couch in their living room in their little home in Godric's Hollow. Harry was flipping through a newly compiled photo album whilst Ginny relaxed—her feet on Harry's legs, with his hands resting gently on them. The couple had decided to spend the weekend together at home relaxing. Ginny had appreciated the suggestion made by Harry, since she was exhausted from visiting friends and relatives and informing them of hers and Harry's engagement. So far that day she and Harry had put together a 'family' photo album and had a general discussion about ideas for their wedding. After that, the couple had eaten lunch, before settling down on the couch together.

Harry was leafing through the pages of the album, smiling at every picture he saw. He had sent owls to many people that knew his parents—from friends to former colleagues—in order to get more pictures of them. From this he had gained plenty of pictures, both together and apart. He had spent hours going through photos, both of his family and of Ginny's, before he started gluing the pictures in—he had insisted on doing it the muggle way, because it made it more special in his eyes. As he was flipping through he came across a picture of Molly in Arthur's arms, beaming up at Harry from in front of the Burrow, just after they'd moved in. Harry sighed, causing Ginny's eyes to open and her to regard him.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I came across this picture," he pushed the album towards Ginny, who looked at it, her face breaking into a smile. After a couple of minutes she passed it back to Harry, a little confused as to why he sighed. "Gin…" he started, "do you think we'll ever be as happy as your parents are?"

Ginny sat up and studied Harry. "We love each other, right? I think we will definitely be as happy as they are."

Harry smiled, nodding. "I hope so. Your parents have been together for a long time now—if we have even half of their happiness, I'd consider us really lucky."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, taking her feet off of Harry's knees and curling up close to him. Harry leant forward and kissed Ginny's hair, before reaching out to the photo album and turning the page. The next photo was of the whole Weasley family, just after Ginny was born. The whole family looked happy—Ginny was smiling up at the camera from Arthur's arms, wrapped in a bundle of blankets. Fred and George were wearing identical grins, and waving at the camera, dressed in their 'F' and 'G' jumpers. Ron, just an infant, was on the floor, clapping his hands enthusiastically together. Bill, Charlie and Percy were smiling serenely up at the camera, Percy wearing horn-rimmed glasses. Molly was smiling fondly at her family, totally immersed, seemingly unaware of the camera that would capture that exact moment.

Harry glanced over at Ginny, who had tears in her eyes, but was beaming. "I love having a big family," she said. "I always dreamed that I would have a big family, just like mum and dad. You're never… you're never lonely, in a family like this," Ginny smiled, staring at the picture. "There was always something fun happening. Mostly because of these two," Ginny reached out and softly touched the young Fred. Harry watched the gesture, touched, but unsure of how to act. He wanted to make a comment about Fred, to console her, but he didn't know what to say. Despite knowing what losing people felt like, he never knew what to say to other people. Instead he said nothing, entwining his fingers with hers, giving hers a gentle but reassuring squeeze.

"I have a question for you," Ginny said suddenly, closing the photo album with a snap.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

"Yes I have," Harry replied softly.

"What do you think? Do you want any?" Ginny pressed.

"I do," Harry answered. "After seeing your family together… the way you are together. It makes me want to have children with you."

Ginny smiled, reaching up to kiss Harry on the cheek. "Do you have any idea how many?"

"No idea," Harry laughed, "I don't think I would want seven, though…"

"Seven seems a little crazy," Ginny joined in Harry's laughter, "I don't even know how mum coped! Especially with Fred and George always playing pranks on everyone…"

"Your mum is definitely a miracle worker," Harry agreed. "Ginny…"

"Yes?" Ginny answered absent-mindedly.

"You're not asking these questions because you're… well, you know… are you?"

"I'm not pregnant Harry," Ginny laughed, "at least I hope not. Not yet, anyway. Let's at least wait a while before we have a baby, okay?"

"Definitely," Harry agreed. "Let's get the wedding out of the way first."

"And the honeymoon," Ginny added as an afterthought.

After that the couple lapsed into silence, both thinking about children and their future life together. Harry was excited, more than anything else. After being denied a family for so long, the only thing he wanted was to begin one with the woman he loved. Ginny also wanted to start a family with Harry, but unlike her fiancé, she was also apprehensive. She had lived with six other children, and she had seen the toll it sometimes took on her parents. Though she and Harry didn't plan on having seven children, she knew that bringing up a child would be no easy task. But both were excited to start a new family, no matter what challenges lay before them.

* * *

**_Hi c: this is only supposed to be a filler chapter between the proposal and the wedding (since I thought it'd be quite mean to post two huge chapters consecutively!), but I thought it would make quite a nice filler chapter, so.. Yeah, hope you enjoyed reading it, and I'll see you next Sunday for the wedding! Thanks for reading! c:_**


	7. Chapter 7: The Wedding

It was finally the day of the wedding, and everything was ready. The ceremony would be held on Hogwarts' grounds, under the tree where Lily, James, Harry and Ginny's initials were carved. The reception would take place in the Great Hall, which had been decorated for the occasion. Once Harry had presented the idea to Ginny, who loved it, he asked Professor McGonagall whether it would be possible. She had agreed, even coming up with ideas for decorating. His hardest task had been talking Molly Weasley around, as she was sure that the wedding would have been held at the Burrow, like Bill and Fleur's. After several long discussions, in which Ginny was involved, she had finally come around to the idea of a ceremony at Hogwarts, even talking with McGonagall to exchange ideas for decorations. The rest of the Weasley family, and Hermione, had pulled together to decorate the grounds and the Great Hall, along with arranging transportation, invitations and seating plans.

Harry was in a chamber just off of the Great Hall, where the first years normally gathered just before they were sorted. He was with Ron, his best man, Arthur and Hagrid—who were there to provide moral support, although it was more Hagrid embarassing Harry and Ron by telling Arthur stories of when the 'Golden Trio' were at Hogwarts. Harry was stood in front of the mirror, his vows in hand, doing last minute checks to make sure everything was perfect. Ron was practicing his best man speech in the corner with a dopey smile on his face—clearly pleased that he didn't have ghastly robes like the one he received for the Yule Ball. Harry had paid for everything, much to Molly's dismay, which included the robes that Harry and Ron wore, the bridesmaid's dresses that Ginny had chosen and the wedding dress, also of her choosing. He had also bought, with Ginny's guidance, a beautifully woven sky-blue dress for Molly and a set of royal navy blue dress robes for Arthur.

As Harry read through his vows and desperately attempted to flatten his hair, McGonagall, Kingsley and George were ushering people to their seats out on the grounds. As Harry read, he imagined what Ginny would be doing at that moment. Was she still getting ready? Was she reading through her vows, trying to memorise them? Or was she confiding any last minute doubts in Molly, Hermione and Luna? _Of course she's not; _Harry told himself sternly, _if she had any doubts, she would talk to me about them. _

"Uh Harry? Harry?" Ron's voice interrupted Harry's thoughts, and he was bought back to the present with a jolt.

"Yeah?" Harry replied, turning around to face Ron.

"You alright mate? You look like you're going to be sick."

"Oh, yeah I'm fine, really. I was just thinking about Gin, if she was having any last minute doubts." As soon as he voiced his concern, Ron's eyebrows rose and Arthur and Hagrid stopped talking mid-conversation to look at Harry, exchanging bewildered glances as they did so.

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Harry," Ron said quietly. "I talked to Ginny yesterday and trust me she is _intent_ on marrying you. I gave her the big brother talk, just to make sure she was… well you know… sure about what she was doing. Don't look at me like that," Ron snapped at his dad, who was looking incredulous. "She _is _my little sister; I don't want her making the wrong choice. Anyway Harry, do you know what she told me? She told me she's been in love with you since she was 13 years old, and that you are her soul mate. That you weren't only lovers, but the best of friends, and she wants to spend the rest of her life with you. And she means it," Ron said. "She loves you so much mate, I don't think she could ever have second thoughts about this. I think she's more worried about you getting cold feet," he smirked.

"Is that true?" Harry asked, looking at Ron and then Arthur, who smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"True as I'm stood here," Ron replied, smiling. "She really loves you, Harry."

Harry only smiled, reassured. "Ron, have I ever thanked you?"

"For what?" Ron replied, looking confused.

"For being so cool with it all," Harry said. "I always assumed you would have an issue with Gin and I being together, but you've been so… _great_. You've helped organise the whole wedding and you've been the best-best man I could have asked for."

Ron's ears glowed red, but he acted like he didn't notice. "Save it for the speech later," he laughed. "Besides, I think it's time to go." He glanced over at his dad, who nodded, before turning back to Harry. "You ready for this?"

Harry nodded, not trusting his voice. He had waited a long time for this day—but his nerves had finally overtaken his anticipation. He knew that the moment he saw Ginny his nerves would dissipate, but until then…

"Let's go then," Arthur announced, giving Harry a sympathetic smile. When he had married Molly he had gone through the same spectrum of emotions, and the same amount of doubt as Harry was currently experiencing. He had almost forgotten how it felt, but looking at Harry brought it all back.

Hagrid and Arthur went first, and then Harry and Ron. They walked in silence, Harry was too nervous to speak, and the others didn't know what else to talk about. Eventually they reached Hogwarts' entrance, and they walked outside into the warm sunshine. The first thing Harry noticed was the sheer amount of guests. Many people had turned up, family, friends and other people that had come to wish the boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named good luck and best wishes on his wedding day.

"There are so many," Harry murmured, mainly to himself, though Arthur chuckled lightly.

"You saved the Wizarding World from a dreadful fate, Harry," Arthur reminded him. "People hold you in high regard. They just want to wish you well on the day you get married."

"This was supposed to be a fairly quiet ceremony," Harry replied. "I don't want Gin feeling overwhelmed by the amount of strangers that have turned up."

"She won't," Ron said. "She'll only have eyes for you, mate."

Harry nodded; his throat dry. Instead of focusing on the amount of guests, he looked around at the decorations that Molly and McGonagall had designed, with Harry and Ginny's guidance. The main decorations were mainly red and gold, incorporating the Gryffindor element in to the wedding. It had seemed fitting, since both the ceremony and the reception were to be held at Hogwarts. The chairs, many of which were occupied, were covered in white linen, with turquoise bows tied around the back. As Harry's eyes drifted towards the tree under which he and Ginny were to be married, he noticed seven empty chairs in the front row.

"Who are those chairs for?" Harry asked, wondering why no-one was sat there.

"Oh, those?" Ron replied. "No idea. Apparently Luna's telling everyone to make sure that no-one sits there, though."

"If it's Luna's orders it's bound to be something a little crazy," Harry remarked lightly, "but we'll leave those seats empty anyway."

Ron nodded, apparently agreeing. "I'm sure she has a good reason," he said. Out of the corner of his eye Harry noticed that Hagrid and Arthur had begun to move towards the seats. He nudged Ron and began to follow them, his heart hammering in his chest. _This is it,_ he thought, _I'm getting married!_

When they reached the front, Hagrid went to sit in the seats with the other guests, and Arthur headed towards the start of the aisle that Ginny would walk down. Ron smacked Harry on the shoulder and began to move towards the front of the seats, where the wispy old wizard who did Bill and Fleur's wedding stood. Harry was so busy trying not to trip over his own feet that he didn't notice Molly slip into a seat near the front. Instead he followed Ron, trying to ignore the stares of the guests that were boring into his back. As he came to a halt next to Ron, the old wizard turned to face him. He nodded once, his smile wide, to which Harry responded with a nod. The wizard then turned to talk to someone who had approached him.

"All ready?" Ron asked suddenly from his left. Harry turned around to face him.

"I think so," Harry replied. "I've memorised my vows, and the ring is with you, right?"

"Yeah," Ron replied, holding out a velvet pouch that contained Ginny's wedding ring. It was a beautiful, gold goblin made ring—seemingly plain, but when put on Ginny's finger the words 'I will love you, always' would appear, and they would never disappear for as long as the couple still loved each other.

"Then that's it," Harry nodded. "Just waiting on Gin now."

"She'll be here soon," Ron promised.

"I know," Harry replied softly. "How are you and Hermione doing, by the way? I'm guessing you haven't seen each other much, what with her being Gin's maid of honour."

"No I haven't," Ron shook his head. "She's been really busy, but I think we're still good. She came around the day before yesterday and we spent a couple of hours together, but then she had to leave," he remarked sadly. "I miss her—I can't wait till this wedding is over so we can be reunited." He glanced at Harry, noticing his amused expression. "Not to say this wedding isn't going to be bloody brilliant," he said hurriedly, "because I'm sure it will be, but I really miss Hermione."

"I know mate," Harry laughed. "I miss Ginny too. I haven't seen her since yesterday lunch-time, and even that was for only an hour or so. It's crazy how much you miss a person once they're gone, even for only a little while."

"How sweet," Ron remarked, chuckling. "Not to worry, Harry," he said, a grin beginning to form. "Judging by those opening doors, I'd say your time of waiting is up."

"Wait… w-what?" Harry stammered, looking over at Hogwarts' main door. It was opening slowly, as if time itself had slowed down for this moment. He watched, transfixed, as Ginny came into view holding a bouquet of beautiful red roses. The aisle was long; it ran from the main doors of Hogwarts right down to the place where Harry stood with Ron. Ron had insisted it was too long, but Harry had disagreed, believing it would build up the excitement. As he watched Ginny walk towards him, with Hermione and Luna in tow, he knew he was right. The closer she became, the more excited Harry was to marry her. _She's beautiful,_ he thought to himself, and he wasn't wrong. Ginny was dressed in a beautiful floor length gown. It looked minimalistic at first, but the closer she drew, the more of the dress was noticeable. Grey lilies had been embroided into the dress—at Harry's own request—which climbed up Ginny's legs to the side of her ribcage. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun with a few loose strands framing her face, glinting in the afternoon sun. On top of her head sat the goblin made tiara that Muriel had lent Fleur for her wedding. It suited Ginny perfectly. Despite having borrowed the tiara from Muriel, Muriel herself hadn't been invited to the wedding, much to Harry and Ginny's relief.

Arthur was clutching on to Ginny's arm, his smile that of an extremely proud dad. Hermione and Luna followed closely behind wearing identical turquoise gowns and each carrying a bouquet of red roses, the same as Ginny's. Harry had to admit that they both looked beautiful—but neither as radiant as Ginny.

As she drew to the start of the 'proper' aisle, where the chairs started, the orchestra began to play the traditional marriage tune. The people in the chairs all rose, admiring Ginny's gown and whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Harry saw Ginny's eyes widen momentarily at the sheer amount of onlookers, but the shock quickly settled into comfort as she met Harry's eyes. Both she and Harry had anticipated people coming that they hadn't invited, and she had made her peace with that. It was only natural of people to want to celebrate with the boy who had saved theirs, and many other witches and wizards' lives.

After what, to Harry, seemed like a lifetime of waiting, Ginny was finally stood next to him; ready to become his wife. As the tufty haired old wizard stood in front of the couple, Arthur went to sit down and Ron, Luna and Hermione moved to the side, Harry slowly reached out and took Ginny's hand into his own. He turned to look at her and their eyes met—the excitement was clear from both of their faces.

The old wizard who would be carrying out the ceremony coughed lightly, to signal that he was ready to begin. Harry turned to face the front, as did Ginny, though they never released hands.

"Ladies and gentleman, friends and family, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Harry James Potter and Ginevra Molly Weasley in matrimony. Before I continue, I do believe the bridge and groom have written their own vows," he looked at Harry, who nodded.

Harry swallowed nervously, before turning to face Ginny. He took her other hand in his hand and looked into her eyes. "No matter what we've been through together, we have always come out fighting. You have always stood next to me in my time of need, giving words of support and comfort. You are my best friend, my soul-mate and my lover, and there is truly no-one else I would rather spend the rest of my life with. I promise to fight until the last of my strength to keep you safe and happy. I promise to love you, to care for you, to listen to you and to protect you through the sun and the rain, the happy and the sad, the difficult and the easy, for the rest of my days." By the time Harry had finished, he could hear Molly sobbing somewhere in the crowd. He glanced around at Hermione, whose eyes glistened with tears as she mouthed the words _'that was beautiful, Harry'_. Finally, Harry looked back at Ginny, whose eyes were also filled with tears. She squeezed Harry's hands tight and gently nodded. Internally, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Though he had spent a while coming up with the perfect words to say, he had realised that he didn't need to say anything fancy. Ginny knew it all anyway. And as he looked at the woman he was about to be married to he knew that she reciprocated his feelings.

"Ginny, if you please," the old wizard murmured quietly, to remind Ginny that she still had to say her vows. She nodded before taking a deep breath.

"I have loved you for ten years, since the day I met you on that crowded King's Cross platform. At first you were just 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' and I was in awe of you, but the longer I knew you the more I got to see the real Harry Potter, the boy I fell in love with. You are not just courageous and heroic. You are kind, gentle, friendly and smart. I have been with you through your best and your worst days, and my promise to you is this: I will be there through every adventure, whether it is good or bad. I will help you up when you feel down, I will smile with you when you are happy, I will care for you if you get sick and I will remain at your side for as long as it is possible for me to do so. You make me happier than anything in the whole world, Harry, and I am honoured that I am the one you have chosen to spend the rest of your life with—and there is no-one else I would rather spend the rest of my days with than you."

Silence followed Ginny's vows. Her words were so sincere; no-one could doubt them. Least of all Harry who, as he looked straight into Ginny's eyes, knew that the promises she had made she would be kept for as long as they loved each other. Pulling himself away from Ginny's loving gaze, he looked out over the crowd. Most of the guests were crying, though still managing to look up at Harry and Ginny with something akin to awe. When Harry and Ginny made their relationship public after the death of Voldemort, there had been countless articles writing of their relationship. Some were complimentary, others were not. But many of them believed the relationship would never last. And many of those writers were here today, at the wedding of Harry and Ginny—the wedding they thought would never happen. But together, they had proved them wrong.

"Thank you for those heart-warming words," the tufty old wizard remarked suddenly, making Harry jump and the rest of the guests look up. "Now to continue the ceremony. The rings, please," he said, motioning towards the couple. Harry turned to Ron, who passed him the velvet pouch. Ginny turned to Hermione, who placed a single gold ring in the palm of Ginny's hand. The ring Ginny had bought, much like Harry's, was seemingly plain. However, once fitted on to Harry's finger, the words _'you are my soul-mate'_ would appear. Unlike Harry's, however, the words would not linger—only returning in times of doubt for Harry.

Both Ginny and Harry turned to face the old wizard, both smiling, excited by how close they were to being a newly-wed couple. The old wizard beamed, clearly pleased about something. "Now, the traditional giving of rings," he turned to face Harry. "You first, Mr. Potter. Do you, Harry Potter, take this woman, Ginevra Weasley, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Harry replied in a heartbeat.

The old wizard nodded. "Very good. Now place your ring on to your partner's finger." Harry did so, taking Ginny's left hand in his own and slowly sliding the band on to her third finger. As the words lit up on the band Ginny let out an almost inaudible gasp, inspecting the newly placed ring on her finger.

"It's beautiful, Harry," she whispered.

"I thought you'd like it," Harry replied quietly.

The old wizard coughed lightly once more, taking away Ginny's chance to reply. "Ginevra Weasley, do you take this man, Harry Potter, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Ginny replied, without a single hesitation. Relieved, Harry exhaled the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Despite Ron's earlier words of comfort, Harry still had doubts. And within one short moment Ginny had managed to wipe them all away as if they never existed.

"Glad to hear it," the tufty haired wizard replied, smiling. "Now place your ring on your partner's finger as a symbol of your love," he said.

Ginny took the ring in her fingers and, taking Harry's left hand in her own, slid the ring up his finger. Then she gave Harry's hand a reassuring squeeze as he looked at the writing on the band. She noticed the slightly shocked expression on Harry's face as the writing began to fade and she stifled a laugh.

"The words will only reappear in times of doubt," Ginny told him.

"Oh… right," Harry replied sheepishly, grinning.

"Now," the minister interrupted, glancing between Harry and Ginny. "I am going to wrap this cloth around both of your hands, and arms, and if you will please repeat the words I will say next," he told them. He gently wrapped the golden cloth around Ginny's arm and then hand, and then around Harry's hand and arm. Then, still touching the cloth at the point where Harry's and Ginny's hands met, he began to speak.

"I promise to love and cherish and honour you until my dying day. No matter what troubles we may pass through, let us pass through them together. Let me guide you through right and wrong, through thick and thin, so that we may have a happy life together. Let this cloth be a symbol of our eternal bond to each other that we now share in sight of the witnesses gathered here today."

"I promise to love and cherish and honour you until my dying day. No matter what troubles we may pass through, let us pass through them together. Let me guide you through right and wrong, through thick and thin, so that we may have a happy life together. Let this cloth be a symbol of our eternal bond to each other that we now share in sight of the witnesses gathered here today," Harry and Ginny repeated in unison. As they spoke the words, the golden cloth began to glow, remaining that way until the last word had been said.

"Very good," the minister nodded, gently removing the cloth. "I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride," he added on the end, smiling slightly.

Harry leant forwards and pressed his lips against Ginny's in a passionate, yet romantic, way. It felt like seconds, but when they finally broke apart Harry could hear the whistles and cheers from the audience. Beaming, Harry glanced around at everyone. Ron had his thumbs up, smirking slightly, whilst Molly and Arthur were hugging each other and smiling at their daughter and new son-in-law.

As he watched, the audience slowly began to stand up. Once everyone was on their feet, they all raised their wands; pointing them directly at the sky. Silently, golden stars began shooting out of everyone's wands and towards the Heavens.

"It's a traditional wizarding wedding thing," Ginny whispered into Harry's ear.

"Oh, thanks," he smiled, feeling a little less confused.

"No problem," she replied. "Oh, and Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Gin," Harry replied, pulling Ginny in for a hug.

Now that the ceremony had finished, people had begun to come up to congratulate them. The first amongst them were Ron, Hermione and Luna. Ron, Harry noticed, had his arm around Hermione's waist, and was looking especially pleased. _I bet he's just glad to be properly reunited,_ Harry reminded himself.

"Congratulations Harry!" Hermione laughed, pulling him in for a hug. "And you too, Ginny," she added, hugging her best friend. "I can't believe you're actually married! I mean I know you said you were going to get married but I can't believe that you're actually married, it seems unreal!" she gushed.

"Let the newly-weds breathe, Hermione," Ron said fondly, hugging Hermione to him. "Anyway, congratulations Ginny," Ron smiled, genuinely happy for his little sister. "I mean, I'd prefer it if it wasn't Harry, but…"

"Ron!" Hermione chided.

"You didn't let me finish!" Ron replied. "I guess if you had to have him it's alright, you won't find a better guy than him anywhere."

"Thanks mate," Harry smiled.

"No problem," Ron replied, laughing. "I can't believe you two are actually _married_! I mean, it took you _forever_ to realise you liked Ginny, and that Ginny liked you. Totally hopeless you were… but look at you now! Married!"

"Congratulations you two," Luna chimed in dreamily from the back.

"Thanks Luna," Ginny replied, smiling at her other best-friend.

"Thanks Luna. Oh, I have a question for you," Harry said.

"Yes?" Luna replied softly.

"Who were the seven chairs for in the front row? I was waiting for people to sit in them through the entire ceremony, but no-one did," he remarked lightly.

"Nice to know what you were thinking during the ceremony," Ginny laughed, nudging her husband gently in the ribs.

"For Lily, James, Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Snape and Fred of course," Luna replied airily, "who else?"

"You… why did you…?" Harry stuttered out.

"I don't think they would want to miss your wedding, Harry," Luna gave a tinkling laugh. "I thought they deserved front row seats."

"Th-thanks Luna, that was really thoughtful," Harry replied finally, trying to ignore the lump in the back of his throat.

"It's nothing," Luna replied. "I think they enjoyed it, don't you?"

"I hope so," Harry smiled.

"So… are you guys all packed for your honeymoon?" Ron asked.

"Yep," Harry and Ginny replied in unison.

"Oh, where are you going?" Luna asked curiously.

"Crete," Ginny replied, smiling.

"Oh, it's lovely there this time of year," she replied dreamily, "although, people I know that have visited there have come home with their heads simply _filled_ with Wrackspurts… so look out for them, won't you?

There was a moment of silence where everyone was letting Luna's words sink in. Then, all of a sudden, everyone started laughing.

"Thanks for the warning Luna," Harry replied, still chuckling to himself. "But I'm sure we'll be okay."

After that, Hermione, Ron and Luna departed, most likely to find their seats in the Great Hall and to usher other guests that way. After Hermione, Ron and Luna came Molly and Arthur, who wished Ginny and Harry congratulations and the best of luck in their married lives. After came other various members of the Weasley family and Hagrid, offering their sincere congratulations and, in George's case, a slight joke aimed in Harry's direction. After the Weasleys came reporters from different Wizarding Newspapers—the most prominent of which was the Daily Prophet. Harry and Ginny answered their questions in a polite but vague manner, in a way that Harry had learned to do from his first interview with Rita Skeeter who, fortunately, was not there. After answering their questions and receiving very enthusiastic congratulations from the wizard who carried out the ceremony, McGonagall and Kingsley; Ginny and Harry finally decided to leave the grounds and go into the Great Hall, since the rest of the guests had already retired there.

As they walked, both Harry and Ginny were revelling in the fact they were now officially married, and how lucky they were to have found each other. Ginny kept glancing down at her ring every couple of seconds, admiring it. The ring on Harry's finger felt odd—not uncomfortable, just unfamiliar. _I'll get used to it,_ he told himself.

Finally they reached the Great Hall. They stood outside for a moment, both flashing each other a brief smile, before pushing open the large oak doors which led into the Great Hall. As the doors opened they were greeted with the sound of clapping and cheering from the guests.

When the doors had finally opened, Harry took a moment to take in the decorations. It was stunning. It had been decorated similarly to how it was for the Yule Ball, though far less Christmas-y. For the wall decorations, it was mainly red and gold, once more reflecting the Gryffindor element of their wedding, which Harry loved. The tablecloths were plain white, with red roses placed in the centre of every table. The chairs, similar to the ones outside, also had turquoise bows attached to the back. There were masses of tables, and all of them were full. The table where the teachers usually dined was the place where Ginny and Harry were to sit, along with Molly, Arthur, Ron, Hermione and Luna. Harry noticed the three empty chairs one side, and the four empty chairs the other, but he didn't say anything. He didn't need to; he already knew who they were for. There was a space in the middle of the Hall, which was meant as a dancing space. This was where Ginny and Harry were going to have their first dance as husband and wife—before the speeches and the meal.

Professor Flitwick was stood off to the side of the dance-floor, in front of a small orchestra that would provide the music for the first dance, and during dinner. As Harry and Ginny stood in the entrance to the Great Hall, Flitwick cleared his throat. "Ladies and Gentleman, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce you to Mr and Mrs Potter. Let the couple now share their first dance!" he announced, signalling to the orchestra that it was time to begin playing. The moment the music started, Harry took Ginny's hand and led her on to the dance-floor. Putting his hand delicately on her waist, he began to lead her gracefully around the dance-floor. As they moved, neither could take their eyes off of the other; it was simply as though the other guests did not even exist.

"You got good at dancing," Ginny mumbled, loud enough for Harry to hear, though it would have been unintelligible for the other guests.

"I took some lessons," Harry admitted, just as quietly. "I didn't think you would want to be embarrassed during our first dance together."

"You could never embarrass me, Harry," she replied. "Although, you were pretty bad at dancing before," she smiled.

"Yes, I remember the Yule Ball," Harry laughed.

They twirled around the dance-floor, completely oblivious to everyone else in the room, their eyes only on each other. Both of them heard the barely audible whispers from the guests, but neither of them focused enough on what they were saying to understand.

When the first song finished, Harry and Ginny slowly broke apart. Hand in hand they bowed to the guests, which brought on a round of applause. They moved towards the teacher's table, Harry pulling out Ginny's chair and waiting for her to sit down before sitting down in his own chair. Moments after they were seated the starter, chicken salad, appeared in front of everyone in the Hall.

McGonagall stood up, clearing her throat as she did so. "The starter is served!" she announced.

There was general chatter whilst everyone ate, making the atmosphere a comfortable one. Harry talked to Hermione and Ron, whilst Ginny got talking to Luna about The Weird Sisters, the band they were having play later on in the Reception. Eventually the chatter died down, and the empty plates vanished, and full champagne glasses appeared in front of the guests.

"Harry, it's time for your speech," Ron told him. Harry nodded in response, before standing up and looking out over the guests.

"I'd like to thank each and every one of you for attending Ginny and I's wedding. It is a very special day for us, and we feel privileged in being able to share it with you. It is rare in this world that you find _true _happiness, well at least it feels that way when you spend seven years avoiding death," Harry paused, smiling when laughter erupted around the room. He waited for it to quieten down before he started again. "But I've finally found it, the happiness I was always searching for. It's due to this woman right here," he touched Ginny gently on the shoulder. "She has made me the happiest man alive, and I owe everything to her. So I would like you all to raise your glasses to the most amazing woman in the world; Ginevra Potter."

Everyone raised their glass and chanted in unison, "Ginevra Potter." Harry glanced down at Ginny, only to see tears in her eyes. She smiled up at him, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

Harry sat down and Ron stood up, next in line to make a speech. Ginny had decided that her vows had said enough, and had never planned to make a speech. Harry didn't mind though, Ron and Arthur were going to make speeches anyway.

"Hi, I'm Ron… Harry's best man.I first met Harry when I was 11 years old, on the Hogwarts Express. Back then I hadn't realised he would become not only my best friend—but my future brother-in-law. It took a long time for Harry and Ginny to get together, and when they finally did in Harry's sixth year, things didn't work out quite as planned. But despite the odds being stacked against them, they did it, and now they're a happily married couple. So if you all would raise your glasses in a toast to my baby sister and my best friend, and the fact their everlasting love was written in the heavens," Ron raised his glass, and everyone followed suite.

"To the Bride and Groom and their everlasting love," the guests echoed.

Next to give a speech was Arthur. Originally he wasn't planning on giving one, but when he was with Ron and Hagrid, watching Harry memorise his vows, it occurred to him that he did want to say a few words. He stood up, glancing around the room at the attentive faces of the guests.

"I'm Arthur Weasley, Ginny's dad and Harry's new father-in-law," he looked over at Harry, who smiled encouragingly. "Harry first entered our family on September 1st, 1991, when Ron chose to sit with him on the Hogwarts Express. It was a lucky turn of events for the Weasleys, as Harry has helped our family out many a time and, as such, has become an integral part of our family. And now he has taken my daughter, and made her the happiest that I have ever seen her. We owe him so much," Arthur smiled to himself. He turned to Harry. "Thank you, Harry. I am proud to call you my son-in-law, and I don't think I could have asked for a better man to take care of my daughter."

Harry nodded; words not coming to him. He had always wanted to be accepted into a _proper _family and, in his opinion; there was no better family to join than the Weasleys. He barely noticed when McGonagall stood up and announced the main course was served- it took Ginny's hand on his own to pull him back to reality.

"Sorry, I was in another world," Harry admitted, looking over at his wife.

"It's fine," Ginny assured him. "It feels strange, doesn't it? Being married?"

"It does," Harry replied quietly. "But it won't take long to get used to."

"We've got the rest of our lives," Ginny smiled at him, tightening her grip on Harry's hand for a split second, before pulling her hand away and turning to talk to Luna. Harry watched her for a few minutes, watching the way she laughed and how her eyes were so bright that they appeared to sparkle. He found himself smiling in spite of himself.

"We've got the rest of our lives," he sighed, perfectly content.

* * *

_**Hey guys! Apologies that this is late, I had some personal stuff to deal with, and sorry that it is such a long chapter, but I couldn't bear to leave anything out! This is the last chapter that I've finished, so updates from this point onward might take a little longer, but I'll always try to have a new chapter posted within two weeks. So yeah, thank you for reading and I hope you liked it! And feel free to leave a review if you liked it, or even if you didn't! (Sorry, shamelessly asking for reviews, I'd like to know whether you guys like what I'm writing).**_

_**Hope you all have fabulous rest of your weeks, and see you soon for another update! **_


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